Flashbacks
by LoneGypsy
Summary: It's ten years after Ali's body is uncovered. The girls are now living in New York and following their dreams. The person responsible for torturing them is now behind bars but it's not over yet. A is still sending them messages.
1. Chapter 1

**SUMMARY: It's ten years after Ali's body is uncovered. The girls are now living in New York and following their dreams. The person responsible for torturing them is now behind bars but it's not over yet. A is still sending them messages.**

"As we approach the ten year anniversary of uncovering Alison DeLaurentis' body," the voice on the television announced, "I want to remind all of you to keep her family in your prayers and learn from her example. Parents, please stay active in your children's lives..."

"I can't believe their flaunting her death like a PSA," Aria told her mother as she clicked the television off.

"I know," Ella said. "Imagine seeing this every time you turn on the television _and_ radio."

"I can't wait to get back to the city," Aria sighed checking the time. "Speaking of, I should probably call a cab soon."

"I already did," Ella told her as a yellow cab pulled into the driveway.

"Alright," Aria hugged her mom. "I gotta go, but I'm so glad I made it for your anniversary."

"Bye sweetie," Ella squeezed her tight. "We'll try to make it for the holidays but no promises. We still have to visit your brother out in Chicago."

"I know," Aria smiled as she grabbed her suitcase and headed for the door. She loaded the taxi cab and they made their way to the airport where she quickly checked in and tried to find a place to sit and check her email. Aria found a seat close to an outlet and plugged in her laptop to get online. It was only a matter of minutes before her computer shut off again. Aria followed the cable to learn that someone else had unplugged her charger and replaced it with his own laptop cord.

"Excuse me?" she said towering over a handsome man in his early 30s. He looked up at her.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Would you mind removing your charger?" she asked politely. "My laptop's about to die."

"For you," he winked, "anything."

"Thanks," Aria smiled uneasily. He walked over toward the outlet and unplugged his cord before he began winding it up allowing Aria to charge her laptop. She quickly got to work and finished taking care of business until her flight number was called. She got her things together, ran to the restroom, and boarded the plane only to find that it had already been taken.

"You again," she said to the same guy who had unplugged her computer earlier.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I think you're in my seat," she told him. "Twenty-two E."

"That has to be a mistake," he replied. "I am also 22E."

"Can I help you?" a stewardess asked passing through.

"Yes," Aria turned to her. "It seems we both have the same seat."

"Let me see," the woman took both of their boarding passes and gave them a look. "Oh no, sir you're actually in 22F. It looks like you got a mark on your boarding pass."

"That's odd," he said moving over a seat to make room for Aria. Aria grabbed her carryon and tossed it in the overhead compartment before taking her seat next to him and putting on a set of headphones.

"Excuse me," he said tapping her. "Can you pass me that magazine?"

"Sure," Aria said handing him a copy of _Sky Mall_. Why he would want to read that, she had no idea.

"Thanks," he smiled extending a hand. "I'm Jake."

"Hi Jake," she replied. "Aria."

"Beautiful name," he said before diving into his virtual shopping. Aria took his silence as a cue to drift off into sleep before the plane took off.

* * *

><p>Hanna took a seat at her desk boasting a plaque reading <em>Hanna Marin Senior Editor<em> before she took a look at _Femme Magazine's_ latest issue. She skimmed through it to make sure her latest adjustments had been met before she shipped it to her editor-in-chief Kate Lyons. With Kate undergoing cancer treatment, it was getting far more difficult for her to be around to oversee the number one women's magazine in the nation. Hanna finished compiling the completed issue and dropped it in the outgoing mail box for a messenger to get it to Kate's ASAP. Hanna checked the time and realized she was already late to meet Aria at the airport. She grabbed her latest designer purse off the coatrack and ran down the stairs to the ground floor before exiting into the hot summer air in New York.

Hanna strolled down 58th to get to Starbucks before she had to take a car to the airport. She got in line for her coffee and soon exited the door with a soy latte in hand. She walked toward the sidewalk and tried to hail a car. She finally flagged one down but felt a quick tap on her shoulder before she could get in. She turned to see a faintly familiar face.

"Caleb?" she asked turning to face him. It looked like Caleb. He had the same dark olive skin and chestnut hair but he was sporting a much shorter style.

"Hey," he blushed a bit. "Funny running into you here."

"Look," she cut him off, "I'm late already. I really need to..."

"Here," he handed her a business card. "I don't expect anything from you. Just call if you're ready to talk."

"Ok," she breathed before stepping into the back of the car and heading toward La Guardia. She finally regained her composure in the back of the cab. She hadn't seen Caleb since they broke up almost seven years ago. How did he manage to find her in a city of 20 million people?

* * *

><p>"I really wish you'd stop worrying about this," Emily told her wife Rachel as she zipped up her dress.<p>

"I'm about to meet your friends for the first time," Rachel explained. "How can I not be nervous?"

"I promise," Emily assured her, "it will be fine. They'll love you!"

"Promise?" Rachel asked.

"Promise," Emily said giving her a sweet kiss. They both grabbed their bags and headed for the door to catch a cab to the Velvet, bar where they were meeting the rest of the Liars for drinks. Emily and Rachel arrived a bit early and grabbed a cozy booth where the Liars could easily see them. Everyone arrived within a few minutes and they ordered a round of shots to kill the tension.

After hours of getting to know each other and hundreds of jokes, the girls were nearly exhausted. Just as they were paying the tab Spencer jumped up out of her seat to greet her friend Tyler who was coming in just at that moment.

"Ty!" she squealed when she saw him.

"Spencer," he smiled giving her a huge hug.

"You guys," Spencer told her friends, "this is my roommate Tyler."

The girls gave a chorus of greetings as they got up to leave and head home. Tyler and Spencer said their goodbyes and took a seat at the booth to grab some drinks. A few minutes later a new face came to join their table.

"Hey!" Tyler smiled seeing his friend Luke. He turned to Spencer. "You remember my friend Luke, right? We were all in Hastings Hall together.

"Yeah," Spencer smiled as Luke took a seat. "I remember."

_...Spencer was running around her bedroom trying to put together a cute outfit. After throwing off six different dresses she finally chose a fitted red scoopneck and let her hair down into her natural loose curls. She grabbed her purse and exited the bedroom only to find Tyler standing at the kitchen counter._

_"Where are you off to?" he asked pouring himself a drink._

_"I have a date," Spencer said swiftly._

_"A date?" he scoffed. "I haven't even heard you say that word since we graduated from law school."_

_"Ha ha," she said insulted. "Don't wait up."_

_With that final note, Spencer left Tyler dumbfounded as she made her way downstairs where a cab was waiting and Luke stood leaning against the hood of the car._

_"Hi," he smiled giving her a hug._

_"Hey," she replied kissing his cheek. They slipped into the back of the cab and drove to a whole-in-the-wall restaurant where they enjoyed a quiet dinner full of sexual tension followed by drinks at Velvet, Spencer's favorite bar. They talked about school and their jobs and then Luke paid the bill before venturing back on the street._

_"My place is only five blocks away," Luke told her. "Would you want to come in for some coffee or something?"_

_"Sure," she smiled knowing full well there would be no coffee involved. They headed down to his apartment and made their way to his bedroom while seductively removing each others' clothes. It was only a matter of time before they were rolling around in his bed sans clothing..._

Spencer snapped back to reality and smiled at Luke as she sipped her dry martini. She hadn't expected to see Luke tonight but she should have known she couldn't eradicate him from her life quite yet. He was a good friend of Ty's and it's only a matter before the two of them reinstate poker night at Tyler's just like the did back in college. She took a deep breath as she accepted her fate. It was going to be a long night.

"Excuse me," Tyler said picking up his cell phone. "I need to take this.

"It's after midnight. What could be important?" Spencer asked but Tyler was already out of sight.

"So," Luke said scooting closer during Tyler's absence, "are you doing anything after this?"

"Actually," Spencer smiled but was quickly interrupted by her cell phone. She pulled it out to take a look. It read: He can't look now. I bet you have time for a quickie - A. Spencer's face fell and she went pale. She looked around the bar but found no one suspicious. A should be behind bars for a long time. This had to be a mistake. She tossed the phone back into her purse and decided to ignore it, for now. She turned and looked back up at Luke. "Sorry, what were you saying?"


	2. Chapter 2

Emily locked the door and tossed the key in her purse before walking downstairs to catch a cab to Central Park where Rachel was working on a photo shoot. She arrived just in time to see the lighting techs setting up the shot and found her way to Rachel's trailer. She tapped lightly on the door before entering the small mobile where Rachel was getting her hair and makeup done.

"Hey sleepyhead," Rachel said as Emily took a seat on the couch.

"Hi," Emily smiled extending a hand to the makeup artist. "I'm Emily, Rachel's wife."

"Hey," the woman smiled. "I'm Kate."

Someone knocked at the door and Emily turned, "Should I get it?"

"No," Rachel called out. "Come in!"

"Hey," a tall athletic man said walking inside.

"Sam!" Rachel cried out when she saw him. He walked over to her and gave her a sweet peck on the cheek.

"Hi," Emily said quickly introducing herself. "I'm Emily."

"Emily!" he gave her a hug. "I've heard so much about you!"

"Oh, right!" Em exclaimed. "You're Sam!"

"Yeah," he laughed. " I think we established that."

"Right," Emily said before retreating in silence.

"Did you get your swim in this morning?" Rachel asked her wife.

"Kind of," Emily replied. "I only did 1000 meters before I had to come here."

"Are you gonna continue swimming?" Sam asked.

"Not professionally," Emily told him. "I think three gold medals is enough. I'm gonna start coaching the Olympic team in the Fall."

"Cool," Sam said leaning back into the couch.

"Two minutes!" a voice called into the walkie propped on the counter. The makeup artist put the final touches on Rachel's look and she left the trailer with Sam. Emily walked outside and lingered behind everyone while she watched the shoot. Rachel and Sam where standing in an embrace while her top was off and her breasts were covered by Sam's chest. Sam looked at her with this piercing stare that made Emily feel uncomfortable. She'd seen that look before...

_...Emily finished curling her hair and heard a knock at the door. She rushed to answer it and saw Brad standing at the door._

_"Hey," he said before pulling her close and kissing her sweetly._

_"Hi," she smiled when they'd finally pulled apart._

_"I missed you," he said referring to her recent stay in Rio where she won an Olympic gold medal for the 500 meter butterfly. _

_"Where are we going?" she asked slipping her arm through his. _

_"I was hoping," he said looking at her with passion in his eyes, "that we'd just stay in..."_

_"Here?" she asked. "At my place?"_

_"We can order Chinese," he winked. "I know Rio does not have anything as good as Dragon Gate."_

_"Okay," she smiled leading him inside. "I'll go grab a menu."_

_"Don't bother," he replied. "I already called it in."_

_"I love you," she said gently pushing him onto the couch and stradling him..._

...Emily snapped out of her daydream and looked ahead at the shoot that was happening in front of her. Sam had a firm grip on Rachel's waist and he was looking at her with the same amount of passion that Brad had when he looked at Emily back then. Emily could feel the anger building up inside her and she couldn't stand being there any longer. She went to the trailer to grab her purse and hailed a cab to take her straight to the training center for a swim.

* * *

><p>"K, I'll see you at home," Spencer said into her cell phone as she finished filing documents.<p>

"Are you sure you don't want to meet us for drinks?" Tyler asked. "Everyone came and I'm sure we'll still be here when you finish."

"I can't," Spencer sighed. "I'm so exhausted."

"Alright Spence," he said finally. "I'll see you at home."

"Bye," she said before hanging up. She replaced the phone in the cradle and got back to her research for her upcoming case. She was busily typing away when she heard the door rattling. She was the only one in the office. The noise startled her and she dug through her drawer to find her switchblade. She crept toward the lobby and saw a shadow standing at the door. The light from a passing car shone on him and she recognized the face.

"Luke?" she called out as she walked toward the door to let him in.

"Hey," he smiled when she unlocked the door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked leading him to her office.

"I heard you couldn't come to the party," he told her pulling a bottle of rum out of his jacket, "so I brought the party to you."

"What?" she squealed. "That's so sweet but I have tons of work to do."

"Come on," he smiled. "Just one drink."

"Just one," she said sternly.

"I love it when you use your serious voice," he said seductively

"Did you come here with an agenda?" she asked sitting on her desk.

"Maybe," he stepped closer to her. Spencer grabbed his collar and pulled him down to her level for a kiss.

* * *

><p>Aria stepped out onto the sidewalk to hail a cab. She pulled out her cell phone to check the time and managed to catch a car. She walked toward it but dropped her scarf and had to bend over to pick it up. In that time a figure ran past her and jumped in the back of the cab.<p>

"Jake?" she asked when she saw him in her cab.

"Oh hey Aria," he smiled that winning smile. "What are you doing here?"

"This is my cab," she told him.

"I don't think so," he replied, "but out of the goodness of my heart, I'll let you have it once I'm done with it."

"Are you kidding me?" she asked.

"Come on," he said. "Let me do you a favor."

"Ugh! Fine!" she moaned. Spencer crawled into the car and they gave their destinations to the cab driver. Spencer's was closer so they headed there first. As soon as she got there she handed her fare to the cab driver but was cut off by Jake.

"Allow me," he replied offering the driver a $20 bill.

"I'm not your charity case," she retorted, "but thanks."

"Anytime," he said as the two got out of the cab and the driver sped off.

"I thought your stop was like ten miles away," she said.

"It is," he told her, "but I'll take the subway."

"Why didn't you just do that from the beginning?" she wanted to know.

"I saw you trying to catch that cab and I just couldn't resist messing with you for a bit," he teased.

"Who are you?" she laughed.

"Come here," he said. She was already standing only about a foot away from him.

"No!" she exclaimed. "I don't trust you at all."

"Come on," he replied. "Seriously."

"What? No!" she laughed. He didn't give her another chance. He simply picked her up and placed her back down on the sidewalk four feet away just in time for a bicycle messenger to whiz by. Aria took a deep breath. "You saved my life."

"You're welcome," Jake said before walking away out of her sight. What was with that guy?

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you found me," Hanna told Caleb as they laid in his bed with only the sheets covering them.<p>

"It wasn't too hard," he told her. "Your name was on the inside of every _Femme_."

"So you were stalking me?" she asked.

"Not stalking," he replied. "Simply catching up without you knowing about it."

"That's cute," Hanna gave him a kiss.

"So," he said, "what are the chances that we can make this like a regular thing?"

"You haven't even bought me dinner yet?" she retorted.

"How about breakfast?" he offered.

"Breakfast sounds good," Hanna smiled.

The two got dressed and made their way downstairs. They walked to a quaint cafe and had their first breakfast together since Caleb had lived in her mom's house. They spent the morning catching up and discussing what happened over the past eight years. Finally they paid the bill and Caleb walked her home.

"When can I see you again?" he asked as they parted ways.

"Tonight?" she asked. "I have a benefit and I need a date."

"So we're dating now?" he asked.

"We'll see," she winked before slipping away. "Pick me up at six!"

"Wait," he tugged at her arm and pulled her close for a kiss.

"I missed that," she said when their lips parted.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So, I've read everyone's awesome reviews and I'm super excited that you guys are reading this. Anyway, everyone keeps asking about Ezra and I fully intend him to make an appearance. I'll probably make a few edits so he pops up a little sooner but that's all I'm saying for now. Anyway, let me know what you think. P.S. I own nothing.**

"Hanna," Aria called knocking on her roommates door wearing just a pencil skirt and bra.

"Shit," Hanna breathed slipping out of the sheets so as not to wake up Caleb who was sleeping soundly. She threw a robe on over her naked body and headed toward the door to open it a crack. "Hey."

"Can I borrow your blue blouse?" she asked. "Mine is in the laundry."

"Yeah, let me just grab the shirt," Hanna told her running to her closet. She grabbed the top and got back to the door just in time to see Aria creep inside. She noticed Aria glance at Caleb and watched her mouth drop open.

"Is that...?" Aria mouthed.

"Get out!" Hanna whispered shooing her out of the bedroom. The two girls ran into the living room and collapsed on the couch laughing. Hanna tossed her roommate the blouse. "Here."

"Thanks," Aria grabbed it and tossed it on tucking it into her pencil skirt.

"No problem," Hanna smiled pulling up a pillow and leaning into the couch.

"So," Aria leaned back against the armrest propping her feet in Hanna's lap, "who's the guy in there?"

"Um," Hanna paused unsure if it was the time to tell Aria. "Do you remember Caleb Rivers?"

"Caleb!" Aria piped up. "The same Caleb from high school?"

"Yeah," Hanna breathed.

"He looks good," Aria said taking a peek through the crack in Hanna's bedroom door.

"Stop it!" Hanna chucked a pillow at her.

"What's up with that?" Aria wanted to know. "Are you guys back together?"

"Kind of," Hanna told her.

"It's been like six years," Aria said. "Did you guys talk about all of, you know?"

"A lot of it, yeah," Hanna explained. "I mean, not everything. We're still catching up."

"What happened between you two?" Aria asked.

"It's complicated," Hanna replied. "Hopefully it will be different this time."

"Are you in love? Are you getting married? Are you gonna have his babies?" those words triggered an emotional response from Hanna. There was something she hadn't told the girls yet...

_...Hanna unlocked the door to her apartment and dropped her purse to the floor pushing Caleb's unpacked boxes out of the way. She had just moved in with Caleb during their junior year in college and they were getting ready to start a family. In fact, they'd kind of already started. It had only been a week since she'd told Caleb they were having a baby but they were both already really excited. _

_Hanna grabbed her cell phone and read a text from Caleb. It said: Working late. Be home soon. __She went to the bedroom and took off her blouse and pencil skirt tossing the two in her hamper. Hanna grabbed her robe and slipped it on taking a second to look at the bump growing just below her belly button. She pressed a hand to it and instantly felt nauseous. Hanna rushed to the bathroom and relieved the contents of her stomach. She loved being pregnant but some of the side effects are slightly uncomfortable. She flushed the toilet and rinsed her mouth only to find Caleb standing at the door. He was all smiles._

_"How are my two favorite girls?" he asked._

_"How do you know it's a girl?" Hanna teased giving him a kiss. Caleb quickly picked her up and placed her gently on the bed before climbing on top. _

_"I love you," he whispered. Then he placed his hands on her belly and kissed it sweetly._

_"Stop!" Hanna squirmed. "That tickles."_

_"Does this tickle?" he said running his fingers along the sides of her legs._

_"Stop it!" she said one last time._

_"Fine," he slumped over to lay down next to her_

_"Ow," Hanna let out a low moan._

_"What is it?" Caleb asked._

_"I don't know," she breathed heavily. There was a stinging pain coming from her belly button. She pressed her hand tightly to it in an effort to numb the pain._

_"Are you okay?" he asked trying to help her. Hanna could barely echo a response. She was in so much pain. Caleb lifted her up and carried her to a cab. The rest of the night was a blur. By the time Hanna was finally fully conscious she was sitting in a hospital bed in a plain white room with tears streaming down her face._

_"Hanna?" a doctor said walking in with a clipboard in hand._

_"Yes," she answered sitting up._

_"You lost the baby," he told her._

_"I know," she breathed. She wiped her tears and then looked up at him. "When can we...when can we start trying for another?"_

_"I would not recommend that," the doctor told her. "Due to your previous eating disorder, your body will most likely reject another baby. In fact, due to your previous health history, there is a very minimal chance that you will be able to have a biological baby. In the meantime, I suggest that you increase your caloric intake and take..."_

_The rest of his words were just a blur to Hanna. He had just told her that she was practically infertile and the only thing she wanted right now was to hold her baby and feel another heartbeat inside of her. She looked around the room and found no trace of Caleb anywhere. _

_When she'd finally rested enough, the hospital discharged her and Hanna made her way back to the apartment Hanna shared with Caleb. Once she'd stepped inside she found all of his things gone. The boxes and clothes were nowhere to be found. Finally Hanna took a seat on the couch and just broke down. Tears streamed down her face and she couldn't control them..._

...Hanna let a tear stream down her face as Aria continued fantasizing about Hanna's future life with Caleb. She let Aria blab on until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Don't you have to be somewhere?" Hanna asked.

"No," Aria replied.

"Wait!" Hanna needed an explanation. "I thought you needed that top so you could be on your way."

"No, not really," Aria told her. "Mostly I just wanted to see who was in there with you."

"You are too much!" Hanna laughed. They must have been goofing around pretty loudly because soon Caleb was standing at the door wearing just a pair of jeans.

"Good morning," he smiled walking over to Hanna and giving her a kiss.

"Hey baby," she said.

"Oh shit," Aria said looking at her watch. "I'm late!"

"I thought..." Hanna began. "Oh."

"Bye guys!" Aria called from the door.

Aria left the two lovebirds back at the apartment and made her way to the Subway that she took to get to Columbia for her first day of work. Lucky for her, she only had classes Tuesday thru Thursday which left plenty of room for a part time job on campus. She got to the main office and met with her supervisor who taught her how to answer phones and input student information in the database. Aria had been doing that for two hours when she noticed another girl take the seat next to her.

"Hey," the girl turned to her. "I'm Amber."

"Oh hi," Aria smiled. "Are you a student here?"

"Yeah," Amber told her. "I just transferred. About to start my junior year."

"Oh cool," Aria said. "So you're like twenty? Twenty-one?"

"Twenty-one," Amber replied. "Did you just start here?"

"Yeah," Aria explained. "Tomorrow's my first day of grad school."

"Oh awesome!" Amber laughed. The two girls bonded over their crappy jobs answering phone calls from students and Aria was excited to make a new friend. When her shift was finally over she said goodbye to Amber and they traded numbers for a potential girls' night out. Aria grabbed her purse and ran out of the building nearly toppling over a man coming in the other direction.

"Sorry," she said regaining her composure.

"No, no," he turned to her. Suddenly she recognized his face. "It's my fault."

"Jake?" she asked.

"Hey," he smiled finally looking at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Working," she replied. "You?"

"Me too," he told her.

"I thought you were a writer," she reminded him of the few facts they'd exchanged on their flight together.

"I am," he explained. "I also teach a creative writing course."

"Oh," she breathed. "You're a professor."

"Yes," he turned to her. "Aren't you?"

"No," she answered. "I'm a graduate student. This is my work study job."

"Oh," he laughed. "What a coincidence. Us working together."

"Not quite," she teased. Suddenly her phone rang and she checked the text. It read: Have you ever met a teacher that didn't take a liking to you? - A. Aria's heart stopped and she dropped her phone to the ground. A hadn't contacted her in almost ten years. Why start now?

* * *

><p>"Thanks for coming," Spencer told Luke as he helped her out of the towncar. They entered the hotel where Spencer's friend from college Cami was holding her wedding reception. They followed the signs to Cami's banquet hall and found their seats at a table with three other couples and their crying children. After staying through dinner and waiting long enough for Spencer to find Cami and congratulate her, the two left the party.<p>

"That was fun," Luke said as they stepped onto the sidewalk. He pulled Spencer close and leaned in for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"Can we go back to your place?" she whispered in his ear.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah," Spencer giggled. She grabbed his hand. "Come on!"

The two ran down the street for six blocks until they reached Luke's apartment. The minute they got inside Spencer dragged him to the bedroom and they toppled on top of his bed. Luke laid down on his back as Spencer straddled him planting a million kisses all over his body. Luke tugged at her zipper and she backed away to strip it off and toss it to the floor. When she looked back down at Luke his eyes locked with hers.

"I wanna be your boyfriend," he whispered. Spencer's heart stopped. She couldn't. She liked Luke and she loved what they'd been doing lately but she couldn't be his boyfriend. Since she and Toby broke up, she hadn't been able to have a successful relationship.

"No," she said to him. "I can't."

"What?" Luke was shocked. Spencer ran around the room putting her clothes and shoes back on and made her way out the door. She grabbed the first cab to her Brooklyn townhouse and made her way inside tiptoeing so she wouldn't wake Tyler. Spencer snuck into her bedroom and threw off her party dress and heels. She looked through her drawers for some sleep shorts and found nothing. She walked downstairs to the basement where the laundry machines are and looked for something clean to wear. It'd been a while since she'd done anything that could be remotely considered housework and thus found no clean clothes. She dug around and managed to rifle through Ty's clean clothes in the dryer. She stuck her hand in looking for a pair of shorts and finally settled for an old pair of Tyler's boxers. She threw those on and picked one of his shirts as well before stumbling upstairs and making herself a cup of tea in the kitchen. She was brewing water when she heard the door unlock.

"Hey," Tyler smiled when he saw her.

"You're out late," she replied.

"You're wearing my boxers," he said giving her a double take.

"Oh, right, yeah," she paused. "All my clothes are dirty. I'll get them right back to you."

"No, it's okay," he told her. "Keep them. They look better on you."

"Seriously?" she asked. She thought nothing of it and returned to boiling water. "Do you want some tea?"

"No thanks," he said grabbing a beer from the fridge. "This'll do."

"Bottoms up," Spencer said pouring her tea.

"So how was your night?" he asked politely.

"Oh," Spencer sighed. "You don't even wanna know.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure I'm supposed to wear this?" Emily asked looking at herself in the mirror wearing a cutout leotard with matching hot shorts.<p>

"Don't you like it," Jazmine, the stylist, told her.

"It's so sparse," she said. She suddenly regretted letting her publicist book this photo shoot. Since when have girls looked up to Olympic athletes anyway? It's been all reality stars since Em was in high school.

"Come on," Jaz coaxed her. "You wear bathing suits for 90% of your life. What's wrong with this?"

"Fine," Emily sighed. She got herself together and walked outside of the dressing room where the shoot was set up.

"Hi," the photographer said extending a hand to her. "I'm Drew."

"Hey Drew," she smiled.

"Alright," he told her. "I want you to feel comfortable so let me know if we can do anything to help you. Now, I just need you to be really natural. We're not trying to get you in Playboy today."

Emily laughed at his joke and got ready for the shoot. She wasn't used to being the one in front of the camera. That's Rachel's job. Drew, however, was true to his word. He gently coached Emily through the shoot and gave her shots that she was really proud of. By the time she'd finished, she was exhausted and ready to go home, prop her feet on the coffee table, and drink an ice cold beer.

"Great job today," Drew told her when she exited the dressing room now in her normal clothes.

"Thanks," Emily leaned in for a cheek kiss and felt his grip tighten around her waist.

"I was about to meet some friends for a drink," he told her. "Do you wanna come?"

"Um," Emily paused. She wasn't sure if this was the best idea but her other alternative was to go back to her empty hotel room and sleep for a few hours before her flight. "Sure. Why not?"

They figured out logistics and Emily met him at a dive bar in North Hollywood. She walked in the dimly lit bar and and found Dave sitting at a table by the jukebox all by himself.

"What happened to your friends?" she asked.

"They flaked," he told her. "Is that okay? I figured the two of us could hang out."

"Yeah sure," she smiled. They ordered a round and got to chatting. It was last call before they were finally kicked out when the ugly lights came on. They paid the tab and walked outside into the brisk air.

"Do you wanna get another drink?" he asked.

"Everything's closed," she told him.

"My hotel is a few blocks that way," he told her. "We can order room service and drink from the mini bar. My room's comped."

"Sure," she told him as they strolled down Sunset. "So where do you live when you're not traveling?"

"New York," he told her. "I've got a flat in Greenwich."

"Seriously?" Emily piped in. "I live in SoHo with my wife."

"That's crazy," he laughed. "We're practically neighbors."

"Crazy," Emily smiled as the two strolled back to his place.


	4. Chapter 4

"You're not coming?" Spencer called into her phone.

"No," Ty replied. "I got swamped at work.

"Will you be at Hanna and Aria's barbecue this weekend?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah," he answered. "That's why I'm here now. I want to get everything done before the weekend.

"Ok," she groaned. "I'll see you at home."

"'K bye," he said before hanging up. Spencer slumped over in her stool and leaned against the bar.

"Can I get you anything?" the pretty bartender asked Spencer.

"Vodka tonic," Spencer replied. The bartender prepared her drink and placed it on a napkin in front of Spencer who slid her a ten dollar bill. She pulled out her cell phone and texted the one person she knew would respond: Luke. If anyone would want to get a drink with her at midnight, it would be the guy she'd been having sex with for the last month. She didn't really put any thought into his "boyfriend" outburst. After he'd said that they'd had sex every day that week. He obviously wasn't too committed. She placed the phone on the bar and took a sip of her drink.

"Can I get a Guiness?" a familiar voice said from behind her.

"Sure thing," the bartender smiled and stepped away. Spencer recognized the voice. It couldn't be. She turned around to find herself face to face with Toby Cavanaugh.

"Toby?" she asked totally shocked.

"Spencer?" he was obviously surprised to see her.

"I can't believe you're here!" she said jumping out of her seat to give him a hug.

"Hey," he laughed picking her up off the ground. "Small world, right?"

"So," she paused. "What have you been up to?"

They chatted at the bar ordering multiple rounds of drinks and catching up over the past ten years. Spencer tried to forget the fact that he'd left her all those years ago without even saying goodbye. He didn't bring it up and he didn't apologize but she knew that she needed him in her life again. This was a chance for them to start over.

They spent a good portion of time catching up on the last few years. He's working in the corporate world now and he rarely sees his parents. Jenna got married and moved to Europe never turning back. Toby hasn't seen her since Christmas five years ago.

After a whirlwind of drinks, the two found each other in Toby's bedroom overlooking Central Park. They lay under the covers breathing heavily. Toby got up and went to the closet grabbing two pieces of clothing.

"Top or bottom?" he winked at her.

"Wha...?" she was confused. "Oh, right."

"What will it be?" he asked.

"I think," she said sitting up in bed and tossing the sheet off, "I'll be more comfortable wearing you."

* * *

><p>"I don't get why you're so jealous!" Rachel told her.<p>

"It's the way he looks at you," Emily retorted. "He's here all the time. When I was training in Lake Placid, he spent more time here than I did. Can you see how that is upsetting?"

"You're just being jealous," Rachel said. "Why would I ever cheat on you, much less with a man?"

"I don't know," Emily yelled at her. "I just don't trust him."

"You know what?" Rachel said. "I'm gonna miss my flight if we keep talking about this. I love you but I need to go. I'll call you later."

"Fine," Emily groaned giving her wife a half-hearted kiss. As soon as Rachel locked the door behind her Emily grabbed her phone and dialed Drew making plans to meet at Velvet for drinks. She changed to go out and grabbed her purse before arriving at the bar a few minutes later. He was already there seated at the bar. They ordered a few rounds and were deep in conversation when Emily noticed how closely they were sitting. As Drew motioned to the bartender to get them another round, Emily's phone began ringing. She looked at it. Rachel's number showed up on the caller ID. Emily pressed ignore and put the phone back down. A second later it beeped signaling that she had a message. Assuming it was from Rachel she took a quick glance but it was from someone else. It read: Is it still cheating if you kiss a boy? - A. Emily glanced around her. No one looked suspicious but this was odd. A had no business in her life. Not now, not ever.

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me?" Hanna called into her boss's office.<p>

"Yes," Kate said offering Hanna a seat which she eagerly took. "There's something important I need to discuss with you."

"What is going on?" Hanna asked noticing the odd look on Kate's face.

"I noticed all of the extra work you've been putting in during my treatment," Kate told her. "I've decided to step down as editor-in-chief in order to focus on getting healthy and I've decided I want you to be my replacement."

"Really?" Hanna asked. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"I expect you to start full time on Monday," Kate told her. "I'll be around next week to help you get started but you've pretty much been doing this for a month now. However, I do need you to find yourself a replacement as well as a new assistant."

"Seriously, Kate," Hanna told her, "thanks for this opportunity. Please let me know if you need any help in your recovery."

"That's sweet," Kate told her. "For now, I want you to take the rest of the day off to celebrate because starting Monday you are working 24/7."

With that last note, Hanna excused herself and grabbed her purse from her office before heading a few blocks south to Caleb's office to give him the good news. She checked in with the receptionist who told her he was in a meeting. Hanna made her way to the office he shares with his coworker and took a seat in his rolling chair. It was a few minutes when Caleb showed up in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" he asked noticing the blonde in his chair.

"When do you get off?" she asked.

"Whenever you'll allow me," he teased feeding off her double entendre.

"Ha ha," she laughed. "Let's get an early start on the weekend."

"I can't," he told her.

"Come on," she said standing up and tugging at his tie. "Let's go back to my place."

"Do I even have a choice?" he asked.

"That's up to you," she whispered.

It didn't take much more convincing to get Caleb back to her place. Soon they were sitting on the kitchen counter eating ice cream out of the container. Caleb was only wearing his boxers while Hanna sat dressed in his button down.

"So," he told her. "What was the big occasion?"

"I got a promotion," Hanna told him. "I'm editor-in-chief of _Femme_."

"That's amazing!" he smiled giving her a kiss. "I'm so proud of you."

"Can I ask you something," she asked changing the subject.

"What's up," he asked placing a hand on either side of her.

"Why didn't you come back?" she asked watching as his face fell. "After I lost the baby. Where did you go?"

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I know I screwed up royally. I just couldn't live with the guilt. We both wanted that baby and I ruined it."

"No," she told him as tears rolled down both of their faces. They held each other tightly looking for support and comfort in anything. "It was me. My eating disorder..."

"I'm so sorry," he told her. Hanna burst into tears and Caleb held her close letting her tears fall.

"I'm done crying over that," Hanna said pulling back and wiping her tears. "It's over now and I'm moving on."

"You know," Caleb said unbuttoning Hanna's top. "We can always try for another."

"No," Hanna simply burst into more tears. "I can't have kids."

"Oh Hanna," he sighed. He kept his mouth shut realizing nothing good came of it. Eventually Hanna stopped crying and wiped her tears. Then she looked up into Caleb's eyes and kissed him passionately.

"I want you," Hanna breathed but before they could get to the bedroom, the door unlocked and Aria stepped inside.

"You're home early," Aria said trying to ease the awkwardness in seeing her roommate and her boyfriend half naked on the kitchen counter.

"Uh yeah," Hanna said.

"I'll just..." Aria simply pointed to her bedroom and made herself scarce.

* * *

><p>"Aria can you grab the bottle of white wine and put it in the fridge?" Hanna called out. "We've already gone through the first one."<p>

"Yeah sure," Aria grabbed the wine while Hanna finished making burger patties for Caleb to grill. "When's everyone getting here?"

"Like sixish, I think," Hanna told her. "Did you invite anyone special?"

"Maybe," Aria thought back to the other day...

_...Aria walked out of the English building only to find Jake sitting on a bench flipping through a stack of papers. She plopped down next to him and cleared her throat loudly._

_"Hi," she smiled snapping him out of his reading._

_"Hey," he laughed. "What are you doing here?"_

_"I had a class," she replied. _

_"I'm starting to think you live here," he told her. "I see you everywhere."_

_"I guess I could say the same about you," she teased._

_"I guess so," he laughed._

_"Anyway," she told him, "my roommate and I are throwing a barbecue for labor day. If you're not doing anything, you should stop by."_

_"Yeah," he smiled. "I'd like that."_

_"Great. I'll text you the details," she explained. "See you later."_

_"Bye," he waved as she jetted off toward the nearest subway station..._

...Aria wasn't necessarily dating Jake and they weren't even really friends. They were more like acquaintances. They'd gotten drinks a few times. Even dinner once when they were both hanging around the university when the dining hall was closed. She wouldn't call them friends but maybe if he showed up tonight, they could be more than that. What was her problem? Would she ever date anyone who was not a teacher? Aria's thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. She ran to the door and opened it to find Jake standing there wearing a rather sexy outfit.

"You made it!" she smiled giving him a hug. He leaned in to kiss her cheek taking her completely by surprise.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thank you so much for reading! I promise starting tomorrow, I'm going to read and review all of those who are reading my story. You guys are amazing :)**

"I'm glad you came over tonight," Jake told Aria while they lounged on his couch nursing their beers.

"Me too," Aria blushed sipping her drink.

"I like you," he said softly.

"I like you, too," she laughed. They had already done a lot of laughing on account of the special brownies they'd eaten earlier.

"No," he breathed. "I like you a little more than I like anyone else."

"So, if we were to, I don't know, make out," she continued, "you'd be interested in that."

"Exactly," he said leaning closer to her so they were nearly horizontal on the couch. He pressed his lips to hers and she allowed his tongue in her mouth. They tugged at each others' clothes while making their way to his bedroom but they never quite made it to the bed.

"That was amazing!" Aria said lying on the floor underneath a panting Jake.

"All you, baby," he breathed. Aria's phone beeped. She threw Jake off of her and reached for her purse to check her phone. She read the message: Some things never change - A.

Aria's heart dropped. She looked everywhere. The windows were closed and no one was inside. How could A be doing this again?

"I gotta go," she told Jake throwing her dress back on.

"What?" Why?" he asked.

"It's just something I need to do," she replied. Aria put herself together and left the apartment looking both ways before she exited the building. Was someone following her? She needed to tell the rest of the girls. It was only a matter of time before A tracked them down too.

* * *

><p>"Staci!" Hanna called to her assistant.<p>

"Yes," Staci came running.

"Can you call my doctor and confirm my appointment?" Hanna asked her. "Then clear my schedule for the rest of the day."

"Yes, of course," Staci smiled. Hanna finished getting her work done and pondered over whether or not she should have hired Staci. She was a great girl who was fun and cute but she wasn't quite on track to be a good assistant. It was only a few minutes before Staci sent her an IM updating her schedule. Hanna grabbed her purse and headed to her gynecologist's office. She arrived and walked straight to the main desk.

"I have an appointment for Hanna Marin," she told the receptionist.

"I'm sorry," she answered. "We rescheduled you for next week."

"My assistant just called to confirm," she told her.

"Right," the receptionist explained. "Then we called to explain the mix up and spoke to someone name A. She said she'd pass along the message."

"What?" Hanna stood there in shock. "Her name was A?"

"Yes," the receptionist echoed. Hanna's phone beeped. She looked at the message: Missing something? Hanna didn't understand. She scrolled down and found a picture of a sonogram. This was her baby. She knew it. How could A have known?

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you came," Spencer told Toby when she saw him walk in the door. He gave her a kiss and they took a seat at the bar before ordering a round of drinks.<p>

"Dance with me," Toby said when a new song was on the jukebox.

"Sure," Spencer said taking his hand. He led her to the dance floor and placed a hand on the small of her back as they glided around the room for hours.

"Can we go back to your place?" he whispered as they got back to their seats at the bar.

"I don't think so," she told him. "I have a roommate."

"Will I ever see your place?" he asked pulling out his phone to check a message. He looked at it puzzled and thought out loud. "Who's Tyler?"

"What?" Spencer asked confused.

"Look," Toby handed he his cell phone. There was an anonymous text reading: His name is Tyler - A.

"A?" Spencer freaked out. "Toby, we need to get out of here."

* * *

><p>Emily came home to find new messages on the machine. She pressed the voicemail button and skipped over the annoying auto message from the cable company advertising their new services.<p>

"Delete," Emily sighed pressing the correct button.

"One new message," the automated voice droned on.

"Hi, this message is for Emily," said an unfamiliar voice. "It's Mason. I don't know if you remember, but I was Brad's roommate. Um...this is hard to say...but um...he passed away last night. We're holding a memorial next week if you're interested. Call me back at..."

Emily was trembling. Brad was thirty. How could he possibly die? He was one of the healthiest people she had ever met. Emily took a seat on the couch and buried her head in her hands letting the tears fall down her face. She heard the door creak open and saw Rachel walk in.

"Sweetie?" Rachel said taking a seat next to her and wrapping her arms around Emily. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Brad," Emily told her. "He's dead."

"Brad?" Rachel asked. "Who's Brad?"

"My friend," Emily breathed as more tears filled her eyes. This wasn't the first time that someone Emily loved had died...

_..."I just don't think this can work out," Emily told her girlfriend, soon to be ex, Mallie. _

_"What are you saying?" Mallie asked. "I thought everything was great._

_"Don't you feel like we're growing apart?" Emily said. "I can't even remember the last time we felt those sparks that we used to have."_

_"No," Mallie said. "No, you can't leave me."_

_"Mallie," Emily pleaded. "Don't be like this. We can always be friends."_

_"Friends?" Mallie was outraged. Emily knew that was probably not the best thing to say but she truly wanted to be friends with Mallie. She just couldn't handle Mallie as a girlfriend. She was far to moody and hormonal to date. Emily had enough stress trying to train for the Olympics. She didn't need to worry about Mallie's emotions 24/7. _

_That night Emily got a phone call from Mallie's brother Andy. He told her that she had committed suicide right after their break up. Mallie slit her wrists and bled to death in her bathtub. Emily never saw her again. She couldn't bring herself to make it to the funeral. She felt so responsible..._

...Emily snapped out of her daydream and wiped her tears. Rachel had her in a warm embrace but that wasn't enough for Emily. She was finally starting to calm down when she heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it," Rachel said. She walked toward the door and answered to find Drew standing outside.

"Hi," he said stepping inside. "I'm here for Emily."

"Drew?" Emily asked when she saw him.

"Are you okay?" he asked running toward her. "What's wrong?"

"Her friend died," Rachel explained. No one said anything for a while. Then Emily's phone beeped. She leaned over to grab it and read: The third one's the charm - A.

* * *

><p><strong>COMING UP<strong>

"Okay," Spencer said placing a legal pad on the counter. "We need to get to the bottom of this. No more secrets."

"Shouldn't we go to the authorities?" Hanna asked.

"Do you remember how easily they turned us down before?" Spencer asked. "We were part of a very public case. I doubt anyone will believe this happens to us twice."

"Then what do we do?" Aria asked.

"Let's make a list of every note we've gotten from A in context," Spencer explained. "Try to remember circumstances and locations. How could A have known?"


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: It's finally here. Ezra's back! P.S. Please let me know if you wrote/read any good PLL fics. I'm dying to read someone else's work :)**

"Hey," Emily said standing at the door to Hanna and Aria's loft. "Sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it," Aria told her. "Everyone's in the kitchen. Take a seat."

"Okay," Spencer said placing a legal pad on the counter. "We need to get to the bottom of this. No more secrets."

"Shouldn't we go to the authorities?" Hanna asked.

"Do you remember how easily they turned us down before?" Spencer asked. "We were part of a very public case. I doubt anyone will believe this happens to us twice."

"Then what do we do?" Aria asked.

"Let's make a list of every note we've gotten from A in context," Spencer explained. "Try to remember circumstances and locations. How could A have known?"

The girls got to work writing down everything they could manage. Then Spencer made lists of all the girls' encounters with A. Spencer went into the office to make copies for the rest of the girls and hand them out. Within minutes each girl was staring at a paper that read:

Aria

1. Have you ever met a teacher that didn't take a liking to you? (Columbia)

2. Some things never change (Jake's apartment)

Emily

1. Is it still cheating if you kiss a boy? (Velvet Lounge)

2. The third one's the charm (Emily's flat)

Hanna

1. Missing something? w/ photo of sonogram (Dr. Jeffrie's office)

Spencer

1. He can't look now. I bet you have time for a quickie (Velvet Lounge)

2. His name is Tyler (Velvet Lounge)

"Obviously," Spencer told her girls, "we should probably stay away from Velvet for a while. There's a trend there and maybe A spends a lot of time there."

"What about the rest of them?" Emily asked. "What do they mean? How can A know these things?"

"We promised no secrets," Spencer said. "We need to know the secrets that A know. I'll start."

"Everything?" Hanna asked. "We need to tell each other everything?"

"Yeah, unless you wanna end up in a ditch like Ali," Spencer said sternly. There was a dead silence in the room before Spencer explained. "I'm seeing Toby...and Luke."

"How is that interesting to A?" Aria asked. "We've all done it."

"It's a secret," Spencer explained. "I haven't told Tyler."

"Why?" Emily asked bluntly.

"I don't know," Spencer sighed. "I guess I just don't think he should know."

"Why not?" Emily persisted.

"Can we move on?" Spencer sighed. "I've said everything."

"No," Emily told her. "Why wouldn't you want Tyler to know?"

"I love him," Spencer said finally. "If he feels the same about me, he would never tell me if he thought I was with someone."

"Oh sweetie," Aria said giving her a hug. "I didn't know you felt that way."

"Wait," Hanna interrupted. "Who's Luke?"

"Oh just some friend from Harvard," Spencer told them. "He's just for fun."

"And Toby?" Aria asked. "I didn't know you were seeing him again."

"Enough about me," Spencer said as Aria let go. "Who's next."

"You guys remember Jake?" Aria asked. They all nodded. "He's a professor at Columbia. A knows we're sleeping together and she knows about Ezra."

"Could it be Noel?" Spencer asked. "He's the only one who knew besides us."

"I doubt it," Aria told them. "He's been living in Australia since graduation. I doubt he even cares about this."

"I was pregnant," Hanna breathed. The others went quiet. "When Caleb and I broke up before, it was because I lost the baby. No one knows but me and Caleb...and now A."

"I didn't even know," Aria said quietly.

"It's okay," Hanna told them. "I've moved on. At least I thought I had until A brought it up again."

"I guess it's my turn," Emily sighed. "A thinks I'm a killer and I kind of do too."

"What?" Aria asked her.

"Ali was the first girl I ever kissed and she died," Emily explained. "The first girl I ever slept with committed suicide after I broke up with her. Last week I got a phone call that Brad, the only guy I ever had sex with, was in a car accident. I think I'm cursed."

"Honey, don't say that," Hanna said hugging her.

"Let go!" Emily spat at her before storming out the door and slamming it behind her.

"What's with her?" Spencer asked.

"I don't know," Aria wondered. "She has been extra moody lately."

* * *

><p>Emily arrived at home and dropped her bags to the ground. She walked into the kitchen to find Rachel standing at the counter looking through a pile of bills.<p>

"Hey," she said snaking her hands around her wife's waist and kissing her neck.

"Stop!" Rachel said turning to her. "I need to tell you something."

"What's that?" Emily asked.

"I have a shoot this weekend so I can't make it to the funeral with you," she explained. "Will you be okay?"

"I guess," Emily replied. "I don't really want to go alone, though. Can't you cancel it?"

"I'm the only one working right now," Rachel explained. "We need this money."

"What are you saying?" Emily retorted. "Are you upset that you make more than me?"

"It's not like that," Rachel told her. "I just don't have time to go to a funeral."

"Why?" Emily asked. "Is it because you need to see your lover Sam? Is he gonna be there? Are you trying to replace me?"

"Emily, what's gotten into you?" Rachel asked...

_...Emily stood in the guest bathroom. The towels were neatly placed in the rack and the floor mat was pristine. She crouched down to the cabinets under the sink and dug behind the mini toiletries. She found a small cardboard box and pulled it out. She emptied out the contents and found a packet of syringes as well as four bottles of clear liquid._

_Emily unwrapped the syringe and prepared the liquid. She pushed the needle into the cap and filled the syringe. Then she pulled down her sweatpants and injected the liquid into her hip. She cringed for a moment and then released. She placed the cap back on the needle and rewrapped the case placing it back in its hiding place. Then she grabbed the clear vial and ripped off the label reading: Anabolic Steroid. Warning: Prolonged use can increase chances of depression, cardio-vascular disease, and infertility. Emily didn't bother to continue reading it. She simply crumpled up the label and tossed it in the trash. Then she went outside to throw the syringe in the dumpster where it would not be found..._

..."I'm just sad," Emily told her. "Brad's dead. Why can't I be sad?"

"Are you sure that's it?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Emily sighed.

"Ok," Rachel said going back to her bills. Neither said anything else for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>"Hey Spence, I've gotta go out of town for a couple nights," Spencer replayed Toby's voicemail for the third time that night. "I won't make it to dinner tonight but I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back.<p>

"What's that?" Luke asked massaging Spencer's shoulders.

"Just a friend," she smiled.

"Like I'm just a friend?" he asked.

"Kind of," she winked.

"I thought I was the only one," he said caressing her body every which way he could think of.

"Stop it," she moaned throwing his arms off. They both laid in bed covered by just the bedsheets.

"Do you remember when I said I wanted to be your boyfriend?" he asked running his fingers all through her hair.

"Yeah," she breathed bracing herself for the rest of the question.

"Have you put any thought to that?" he wanted to know.

"I can't," she told him. "I love someone else and I can't honestly say I'll make a good girlfriend for you. Can you understand that?"

"Maybe you should go," he told her.

"What?" Spencer asked. "I'm trying to be honest here. Don't you wanna go for another round?"

"Get out!" he said sternly.

"Okay," Spencer breathed. She quietly put her clothes back on and slipped out the door headed home. She took a cab back to her place and entered the townhouse slipping in quietly in case Tyler was sleeping. She walked into her room and slipped off her shoes tossing her purse on the nightstand. She pulled off her clothes and suddenly heard her bathroom door open. Tyler was standing in just a towel while her unhooked bra dangled from her fingertips. She screamed. "What are you doing in here?"

"Sorry," he laughed tossing her a towel and letting his eyes linger a little too long on her breasts. "Someone's using my shower so I thought I'd borrow yours. Is that okay?"

"It's fine," she said wrapping the towel into a toga. "You just scared me."

"I'm sorry," he told her again walking over to her pile of clean laundry. "I'll make it up to you."

"What are you doing?" she asked as he took off his towel and turned away from her.

"My boxers," he explained as he tossed on the ones that she'd borrowed last week. "I don't wanna walk through the house naked."

"She's already seen it, hasn't she?" Spencer scoffed.

"Good point," he laughed as he left her room. Spencer watched him go and then changed into sleep clothes before strolling into the kitchen to make some tea. She heard a feminine giggle coming from Tyler's room and let her thoughts drift away...

_...Spencer grabbed her purse and ran into the tiny pub to get out of the rain. She found her friends sitting at a table and inched her way toward them avoiding the crowds. She reached them and found Tyler absent._

_"Hey," Nate, Tyler's roommate, gave her a hug. "You made it!"_

_"I know," she sighed. "I needed a drink. Where's Ty?"_

_"He's got a girl over," Nate winked. _

_"Oh," Spencer breathed taking a seat next to Nate._

_"Can I get you something?" Nate asked._

_"No, I'll go," she said. Spencer walked to the bar and ordered herself a vodka tonic. The bartender handed it to her and she slipped him a ten-note. She walked back to the table and scooted next to Nate._

_"Well," Sally said getting up to leave. "I've got my internship early tomorrow morning so I'm taking off."_

_"Me too," her boyfriend Joe said getting up to follow her._

_A chorus of goodbyes echoed from the table leaving only Spencer, Nate, and Spencer's roommate Renee._

_"Here," the bartender said walking over to their table and placing a beer in front of Renee. "It's from the guy in the red shirt."_

_"Thanks," Renee smiled._

_"Go over there," Spencer nudged her. _

_"You think?" Renee asked._

_"Yeah," Nate winked at her. Renee smiled and got up to meet the mysterious man._

_"So," Spencer said to Nate, "are we still smoking back at your place"_

_"You just wanna come over and catch a glimpse of Tyler's girl," he teased._

_"No," she sighed. "I genuinely need something to calm me down. Tomorrow's my first day off in three months."_

_"Deal," he said. "Let me just finish off this beer."_

_"Allow me," she said grabbing it and downing it in five seconds. "Let's go."_

_"After you," Nate motioned following her out of the bar..._

...Spencer woke from her daydream as the tea kettle whistled. She looked up to find Tyler giving a tall blonde a kiss goodbye and walking her out the door.

"You hungry?" he asked Spencer once the girl was gone.

"I could eat," she smiled.

"Cool. Get changed," he told her. "I could use a steak."

"That sounds amazing!" Spencer laughed draining her tea in the sink and running to her bedroom to change.

* * *

><p>"I'll see you tomorrow," Aria told Amber as she left her seat at the courtesy desk.<p>

"No," Amber corrected her. "I'm off. Are we still on for drinks tonight?"

"Yeah totally," Aria smiled grabbed her purse from under the table.

"Velvet?" Amber asked.

"Uh no," Aria sighed. "How about a new place? There's a happy hour at Blue Lagoon."

"Sounds great!" Amber smiled as Aria ran out the door to enjoy her weekend. She booked it around the corner only to catch sight of a familiar face out of the corner of her eyes. Tall, dark, and handsome. She could recognize that face anywhere. Even if she hadn't seen it in years. He obviously recognized her too because he made eye contact and was walking right toward her.

"Aria?" he asked.

"Hey Ezra," she said as she was filled with a flood of emotions.

"I thought it was you," he smiled. "I'd recognize that face anywhere."

"It's changed a lot in the past seven years," she told him. "I've got crows feet now."

"I didn't even notice," he told her.

"I've gotta go," she told him. "I'm meeting someone."

"Oh, right," he sighed. "Can I see you again?"

"I don't know," she breathed. "Is that a good idea?"

"If you decide that it is," he said, "my office is in Dodge Hall. Fourth floor. You'll see my name on the door."

"I'll think about it," she said giving him a small smile and then walking away. She made her way to the first subway station and got on the train allowing her mind to travel...

_...Aria sat on the couch circling wanted ads in the newspaper when she heard the front door open. She looked up to find Hanna with a huge smile on her face. _

_"I've got a present," Hanna said tossing the latest issue of Femme in her lap. Aria let a smile spread across her face._

_"They printed it?" she asked as she flipped through pages. She scrolled past all of the fluff entries and found an article titled_: How to date a teacher...and not get caught _by Martina Grooomey. Aria giggled as she read over the outline of her affair with Ezra._

_"Can I ask you something?" Hanna said._

_"Sure," Aria replied._

_"Why Martina Groomey?" she asked._

_"It's an anagram of Aria Montgomery," Aria explained. "I need this to be anonymous."_

_"What a shame," Hanna said. "Your first article to get published doesn't even have your real name."_

_"I think I can live with that," Aria smiled. "Did they like any of my other articles?"_

_"Nope," Hanna sighed. "They're not as fond of Aria Montgomery as they are of Martina Groomey."_

_"That's a shame," Aria breathed ripping out the article and running to her bedroom to frame it..._

...Aria snapped out of her daydream as the train pulled up to a stop. She ran home as tears began to fall from her eyes and got inside to find Hanna at the kitchen counter also in tears.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked.

"Nothing," Hanna sighed. "It's just been an emotional day."

"How so?" Aria wanted to know.

"Don't worry about it," Hanna smiled wiping her tears. "How was your day?"

"I saw Ezra," Aria told her. "He teaches at Columbia."

"I thought he was still at Hollis?" Hanna asked.

"He's the chair of the writing department at Columbia now," Aria explained. "He only started this year."

"Did you know?" Hanna asked. "Is that why you applied there?"

"Maybe," Aria replied. "It's a school of 30,000 people. I never thought I'd actually see him. It just felt good to know that when I thought I saw him in the corner of my eye, it would actually be him, you know?"

"Oh Aria," Hanna smiled. "You've got someone new now. You don't need Ezra back in your life. It brings up too many memories."

"I know," Aria sighed. "I know."

**COMING UP**

"Hey," Aria tapped on the door with a plaque to signify it was Ezra's office.

"Aria! Hi," he smiled when he saw her.

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea," she said closing the door behind her as she approached him, "but I'm gonna do it anyway."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I couldn't help but give you guys another chapter. I've already written most of this but from what you guys are saying, I'm not sure if you'll like what I have planned. Leave a review with what you want to see and I'll make some changes :)**

Hanna rolled over in her bed and groaned at the city sounds outside. She heard a tapping at her window and just assumed it was another pigeon pecking at the glass. She groaned and placed the pillow over her ears but it didn't stop. Finally she got out of bed and glanced at the window.

"Caleb?" she asked when she saw him crouched down on the fire escape. She cracked the window and let him in. "What are you doing?"

"I had to see you," he whispered crawling inside. He pulled her into an embrace and wrapped his arms around kissing her forehead.

"It's the middle of the night," she told him. "You should have called."

"I have to tell you something," he told her.

"You're not listening to me," she spat at him. "Why didn't you call?"

"I wanted to surprise you," he explained. "Aren't you happy?"

"Not really," she sighed.

"Come on," he laughed feeling up through her nightie. "You used to love this."

"Ow," she said pulling his hands off her breasts. "I'm tired."

"What happened to the spontaneous Hanna I used to know?" he asked as he followed her to the bed where she went back under her covers.

"You can stay," she told him coldly, "but no sex."

"I can deal with that," he said stripping down to his boxers and getting under the covers with her. He put an arm around her to pull her close and she tossed it off.

"Go to sleep," she hissed pulling the covers up to her head.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Aria tapped on the door with a plaque to signify it was Ezra's office.<p>

"Aria! Hi," he smiled when he saw her.

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea," she said closing the door behind her as she approached him, "but I'm gonna do it anyway."

"Wha...?" he asked. Before he could finish the word she grabbed his face and pulled him down to her level allowing their lips to touch. Then their tongues. In seconds, she was on his desk tugging at his shirt as he pulled at her dress. In a swirl of clothes and limbs, they allowed their feelings to get the best of them.

"Thanks," Aria said when they were finally in their clothes again. He sat on his desk, while she laid her head in his lap.

"You're welcome?" he said slowly.

"Sorry," Aria laughed. "That came out wrong. I just meant that, we hadn't done this in a while."

"You know Aria," he told her, "we're adults now. There are consequences for both of us and I don't think we should do this again."

"I completely agree," Aria said getting up and jumping off the desk. She kissed him passionately one last time. "I'll take one for later and then I'm off."

"Aria," he said as she placed a hand on the doorknob.

"Yeah," she called back.

"Can we keep this between us?" he asked.

"You got it," she smiled as she strolled out of his office. This was the closure she needed. Aria had spent the last few years wondering if she'd ever see him again and now she saw him and slept with him and she could move on with her life. Aria was pondering her new self-actualization when her phone beeped. She received a picture message with a photo of her and Ezra half-dressed in his office. The text read: Maybe Jake should see this - A.

"Dammit!" she said as she tossed her phone in her purse. She pondered whether or not to tell Ezra as she took her typical journey home.

* * *

><p>Spencer finished stacking files on her desk and cleared all of the clutter. She had spent the last half hour organizing her desk to avoid doing anymore work. She had spent far too long going over past case studies and reviewing laws that she needed a drink like nobody's business. She wanted so badly to be at a bar, any bar, but couldn't justify drinking alone at four in the afternoon. As Spencer watched the clock tick away, her phone rang. She dove for it.<p>

"Hello?" she asked.

"Spence," it was Tyler. "I need a drink!"

"Yes!" she laughed.

"I'll be by in two minutes," he told her before they hung up. She straightened up her things and grabbed her coat when she saw Tyler at the door literally two minutes later.

"Hey," she smiled picking up her purse. "You're pretty punctual."

"It's been a long day," he told her. "I was actually just outside when I called. I waited two minutes before coming in."

"You have no idea how badly I need this," she said.

"I'm glad I've got a partner in crime," he said as they left the building and strolled down the street to Velvet.

"Wait," Spencer said before they walked inside. "Let's try something new."

"What?" he asked. "You love this place."

"I know," she said, "but I'm dying for a margarita. How about Panchos's?"

"Sure," he smiled as they made their way to the subway station to get across town. They got on the first train which was super crowded and squeezed their way through. There were no seats left so they both grabbed onto the same pole. As the train braked it lurched forward nearly knocking Spencer off her feet. The only thing that saved her was Tyler wrapping his arm around her to hold her tightly. As the train continued on, he didn't let go. She let her hand grab hold of his chest as they sped underground.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair. She wasn't sure if she heard him right.

"What?" she asked. He looked at her nonchalantly as if he hadn't said anything so she dropped it. Had she imagined that? Her phone beeped just then. She checked it to find a message that read: Did he say what I think he said? - A. Spencer looked up to find a figure in a black hood run through the crowd on the car. Before Spencer could even attempt to follow the figure, the car lurched again and the doors opened allowing the culprit to escape. "Shit."

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you came," Rachel told Emily. The two were dressed in cocktail gowns at a charity event.<p>

"I didn't have anything better to do," Emily sighed.

"Still," Rachel told her. "I'm thankful you're here. I hate going to these things alone."

"Yeah, me too," Emily said starring off into space...

_...Emily wore a black dress to the funeral. Drew stood by her side. He'd accompanied her in Rachel's absence. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched the casket standing over a six foot deep hole in the ground. _

_"Thanks for coming," she whispered to Drew after the ceremony. "I hate going to these things alone."_

_"I know what you mean," he told her as they made their way to his car. "My sister died a few years ago. I cried for days."_

_"I'm sorry," she said. She leaned against the passenger seat door and embraced him in a hug holding him close. Their faces moved toward each other. Finally they were looking into each others' tear-filled eyes. Their lips moving closer to each other until they were touching. It was only a second and then Emily pulled away._

_"Sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to..."_

_"It's okay," she told him. "That was my fault too."_

_"Is it bad that I kind of liked it," he said..._

...Emily snapped back to reality to find the room filling with more guests. Rachel disappeared for a second only to return toting two glasses.

"Gin and juice," she said handing her a crystal tumbler.

"Thanks," Emily smiled as she accepted the glass. Her phone beeped instantly. She read the text: That's not the only juice in your system - A.

**COMING UP**

Jake laughed moving over to make room for him. The next thing Jake said made Aria's heart sink. "Where's your wife?"

"Oh Isla?" Ezra explained. "She had to stop at the restroom."

"Hi," a redhead said walking toward them. She was strikingly attractive with a sexy British accent. "I'm Isla."

"Right," Ezra said. "You know Jake and his girlfriend Aria. As well as her friends Caleb and Hanna."

"Nice to meet you," she said giving them all a small wave.


	8. Chapter 8

"Is it bad that half of the relationships I've ever had were with teachers?" Aria asked Hanna who was applying her makeup.

"At least you're interested in smart guys," Hanna told her. "Imagine if half the guys you dated were janitors."

"I can't believe I'm doing this again," Aria sighed.

"Calm down," Hanna told her. "Where's he taking you anyway?"

"I'm not sure, "Aria explained. "We're meeting some of his friends for dinner. You and Caleb should come."

"I don't think so," Hanna said. "I'm really tired and Caleb and I had a fight the other day."

"Come on!" Aria said. "I could use the back up and maybe it will fix your problems."

"Fine," Hanna sighed, "but you have to do your own hair. I need time to get ready."

"Sure," Aria laughed. Hanna grabbed her phone and called Caleb who agreed to come. Then the two girls ran around the apartment curling their hair and enhancing their boobs to be date ready. The doorbell rang too soon.

"I'll get it!" Hanna said running to the hallway. She opened it to find Caleb dressed to impress. "Hey."

"Hi," he smiled.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "The other day, I was just being moody."

"It's okay," he said giving her a hug. "I get it."

"Come in," she led him to her bedroom. "I just need to change really quick."

Sure," he said taking a seat on her bed. Hanna ran into her closet, threw off her robe, and put on a fitted red dress.

"Zip me?" she asked when she reappeared. Caleb got up and helped her into the dress.

"It's stuck," he told her.

"Shit," she said throwing it off. She grabbed a new dress with an empire waist. "How about this one."

"Zips right up," he said finishing her off.

"Thanks," she gave him a kiss as the doorbell rang once more.

"I'll get it!" Aria yelled. She opened the door to find Jake wearing a gray button down with black slacks.

"Hey," he told her. "Sorry I'm late."

"You look good," she winked. "I guess I can forgive you."

"I should try that more often," he smiled.

"Is it okay that I invited my roommate and her boyfriend?" she asked.

"Of course," he said kissing her cheek. "The more the merrier."

"Awesome!" Aria said turning to grab her friends.

The foursome got their things together and headed out the door to make their way toward the restaurant. It was only a few blocks north and they reached it before Jake's friends. They checked in with the hostess who led them to a large booth near the kitchen. She passed out the menus and left two extra for their other guests. The waitress came by and got their drink order and left them to peruse the menu.

"My man!" Jake said looking up from his menu. Aria looked at where he was gazing and found herself face to face with Ezra. He made eye contact with her and they shared a knowing look and her heart stopped beating for a full minute.

"Mr. Fitz," Hanna smiled realizing the severity of the situation. "What a surprise!"

"You know each other?" Jake asked.

"Yeah," Caleb jumped in. "Mr. Fitz was our English teacher."

"You can call me Ezra," he said. "I think you've earned that right."

"That's crazy," Jake laughed moving over to make room for him. The next thing Jake said made Aria's heart sink. "Where's your wife?"

"Oh Isla?" Ezra explained. "She had to stop at the restroom."

"Hi," a redhead said walking toward them. She was strikingly attractive with a sexy British accent. "I'm Isla."

"Right," Ezra said. "You know Jake and his girlfriend Aria. As well as her friends Caleb and Hanna."

"Nice to meet you," she said giving them all a small wave. Isla removed her thick coat and draped it on the chair revealing a swollen belly.

"Is she...?" Hanna whispered to her friend.

"Uh huh," Aria nodded discreetly. Isla was pregnant and Aria was sleeping with her husband. This was not good. Aria's phone beeped. She read the text that said: Sleeping with a married teacher. Sound familiar? - A.

* * *

><p>"I don't feel good," Hanna told her assistant as she paced around her office.<p>

"Calm down," Staci said. "You've done this befo..."

Hanna didn't let her finish. She ran toward the restroom and found the first open stall. She kneeled down and hunched over but nothing came out. She turned around to make sure the door was locked and then pushed two of her fingers down her throat. Immediately her lunch came up and fell into the toilet. Hanna flushed the toilet and rinsed off in the sink before returning to her office.

"Sorry," she told Staci. "Just nerves."

"It's okay," Staci smiled. "Trust me, you'll do fine."

Hanna grabbed her presentation and walked toward the conference room. Her phone beeped as she took her seat at the head of the table. She checked the message that read: Old habits die hard - A.

* * *

><p>Spencer stood in the kitchen reading the newspaper while she waited for her coffee to be done brewing. She put the paper down and watched as the last few drops fell into the pot. She grabbed her favorite mug and filled it to the brim leaving just a tiny bit of space for cream.<p>

"You are an angel," Tyler said popping out of his bedroom and walking straight toward the coffee pot to pour himself a mug.

"I think you may be the only person who can drink my coffee," she laughed.

"That's what makes us so good together," he told her. Spencer hopped up on the counter and sat with her feet dangling over the side.

"Do you have any plans today?" she asked. "It's our first day off since finishing that huge case."

"I know," he sighed. "I'm insanely horny right now."

"Okay," she scoffed.

"I could use some life-changing...mind-blowing...celebratory sex...with you," he said putting a hand on either side of her. Their eyes were locked. He leaned in closely so his lips were practically on hers, "but I know Luke's already got you on lockdown."

Spencer's mouth dropped and she froze. Her heart literally stopped and she didn't move until she saw Ty's face turn into a smile.

"How did you...?" she asked.

"I figured it out," he explained. "You and Luke are always gone at the same times and you do the walk of shame at least once a week."

"You've really done your research," Spencer said trying to shake away her previous fantasy of them screwing on the kitchen counter...

_...Nate grabbed Spencer's hand as he led her into the tiny apartment he shared with Tyler. They crept inside the dark room and felt around for Nate's bedroom. They slipped into the bedroom and took a seat on his bed._

_"Do you wanna do the honors?" he asked handing her a small container holding tiny green plants and a package of papers._

_"No," she winked. "I trust you."_

_"Alright then," he smiled. He grabbed a rolling paper and filled it with tiny green leaves and began rolling it tightly. He sealed it and grabbed a lighter from the nightstand. He placed the joint in his mouth and lit it inhaling deeply. He kept the smoke in as long as possible and then exhaled coughing furiously. He passed it to Spencer. She did the same and passed it back. This went back and forth until the blunt was only the length of a fingernail. He took a hit and inhaled deeply. Before he exhaled he turned to her and pressed his lips to hers. They both opened their mouths in the shape of an O and she inhaled. They pulled apart and coughed deeply._

_"That was hot," she said extinguishing the joint._

_"I want you," he breathed kissing her again. She lied on her back and he climbed on top of her._

_"I can't" Spencer breathed pushing him away. _

_"Come on," he smiled._

_"Nate," she pleaded. "Let's not do this."_

_"Spencer," he whispered. "I love you."_

_"No you don't," she laughed pulling him closer. She couldn't resist. Nate had a great body and a great personality and he was hopelessly in love with her. Who was she to deny him. It's not like Tyler was coming around anytime soon._

_"Hey," came a voice on the other side of the door followed by a knock. Nate got up to answer it._

_"'Sup man?" he laughed letting Tyler in._

_"Where's your lady friend?" Spencer asked him._

_"Sleeping," Tyler assured her. "I heard there was a party in here."_

_"Are you trying to mooch off my weed?" Nate asked._

_"You smoked all of mine last week," Ty reminded him._

_"Help yourself," Nate said handing him the tupperware containing the weed. Tyler joined the two on the bed and began rolling a joint which he lit and passed to Nate. Nate inhaled and passed it to Spencer. As they passed the joint around Nate's fingers wandered all over Spencer. Guilt filled her body and she tensed up as Tyler's eyes bore into her..._

...Spencer finished off her coffee and took a moment to ponder.

"Not that it's any of your business," she told Tyler, "but I don't think it's gonna work out with Luke and me."

"I'm staying out of it," he said but Spencer could tell that there was a hint of jealousy in his eyes.

* * *

><p>"What is this!" Rachel yelled at Emily holding up the packet of steroids.<p>

"Calm down!" Emily yelled back. "That's mine."

"Emily," Rachel pleaded. "Is this why you've been acting so weird? These aren't healthy. You're killing yourself."

"Mind your own business!" Emily screamed grabbing the package.

"Fine!" Rachel sighed. "I can't deal with this anymore. Either you get help or I'm leaving."

"What?" Emily's eyes began to tear up. "Where are you going?"

"None of your business," Rachel echoed as she stormed out slamming the door behind her. Emily reached for her phone and dialed Drew's number. She got his voicemail.

"Hey," she said through her tears. "I kind of need a friend right now. Can you come over?"

Emily put her phone down and it beeped instantly. She read the text: She's pissed about the steroids. Imagine when she sees this - A. Emily scrolled down to find a photograph of her kissing Drew at the funeral. She froze and instantly dropped the phone to the ground.

**COMING UP**

Staci ran back in a minute later. "The photographer is here."

"Send him in," Hanna said. Two seconds later the photographer entered followed by two lighting techs who quickly got to work at setting up the shot.

"Hi," the photographer said introducing himself. "I'm Drew."

"Hey," she smiled extending a hand. "I'm Hanna."


	9. Chapter 9

Spencer ran around the house putting on the final touches before her make up date with Toby. She wore her most expensive designer dress as well as her favorite shade of lipstick that she saved for special occasions. Spencer was fixing her hair in the mirror when she heard the front door open.

"Spencer!" Tyler called to her. She ran to the door to find Toby following Tyler in the house.

"Toby," she smiled, "this is my roommate Tyler. Tyler, Toby."

They exchanged a polite greeting that reeked of testosterone. Spencer grabbed her clutch from the kitchen counter and followed Toby out the door.

"You better have her home by ten!" Tyler called to them.

"He's kidding," Spencer said shutting the door behind them. Toby took her to a fancy restaurant near Central Park and they wasted no time with desert. They only had to walk a block before they were at Toby's apartment.

"Can I get you a drink or something?" he asked flicking on the light switch.

"Sure," Spencer said taking a seat on the couch. "Something with vodka?"

He mixed the drinks and they sat on the couch chatting for a bit. Spencer propped her legs in his lap and he slipped off her shoes to give her a footrub.

"Does that feel good?" he asked. She could only mumble. Her body needed this far more than she even knew. She drifted into a sleep-like limbo while he massaged her toes. Finally he placed her shoes back on and she sat up keeping her eyes closed.

"Thanks Ty," she smiled grabbing a pillow to rest her head on.

"Ty?" Toby asked.

"Did I say that?" she asked.

"You said 'thanks Ty,'" he told her.

"No I didn't," she replied.

"Yeah," he told her. "You did."

"You know what," she said grabbing her purse off the coffee table. "Maybe I did."

She didn't even say goodbye. It's not like Toby said goodbye when he left her almost a decade ago. She stormed out of the house and headed back home. She was just feeling a wave of emotions. She had to tell Tyler how she felt but she couldn't handle the possibility of rejection. What if she was misunderstanding all of his signals. Spencer slammed the door when she got home and saw Tyler standing at the kitchen counter making himself a sandwich.

"You okay?" he asked when he saw her face.

"I don't know," she sighed.

"Here," he said handing her half a sandwich.

"Thanks," she smiled. "This definitely helps."

* * *

><p>Hanna stood in her office contemplating the two dresses in front of her. One was a strapless gray banded dress and the other was a floral oversized mini. She was doing a photo shoot for the new editor's page photo and she was trying desperately to get ready. Hanna grabbed the gray dress and slipped it on attempting to zip it up.<p>

"Staci!" she called.

"Yeah?" Staci asked appearing at the door.

"Can you zip me?" she asked. Staci tried the zipper but it wouldn't budge.

"It's stuck," Staci told her.

"Dammit!" Hanna sighed. "I gained like ten pounds this month."

"Try the other one," Staci suggested.

"I don't want the other one!" Hanna nearly shouted. She paused to rethink her attitude. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."

"I get it," Staci told her exiting the room. Hanna put on the other dress and appreciated the extra room and flattering style. Staci ran back in a minute later. "The photographer is here."

"Send him in," Hanna said. Two seconds later the photographer entered followed by two lighting techs who quickly got to work at setting up the shot.

"Hi," the photographer said introducing himself. "I'm Drew."

"Hey," she smiled extending a hand. "I'm Hanna."

The two chatted a bit as the lighting was set up and she became really comfortable with him. By the time they finally got to shooting, Hanna was ready to shine. Three hours and two memory cards later, Drew and Hanna were clicking through photographs to find the new winner. Hanna chose five to be sent for retouching and she would make the final decision when they returned from the lab.

"It's been a pleasure," Hanna said giving Drew a hug goodbye.

"Yeah," he winked. "I hope we get a chance to work together soon."

* * *

><p>"How was your day?" Aria asked Hanna as she walked through the door.<p>

"Awful," Hanna sighed sinking into the couch. "I've gained ten pounds."

"It's all those late night snacks," Aria told her. Hanna groaned trying to change the subject.

"What are you doing tonight?" she asked.

"Jake was supposed to take me out," she explained, "but now he's gotta baby-sit his godson so I'm going to keep him company."

"You're babysitting with your boyfriend?" Hanna scoffed. "That sounds like a bad idea."

"It was all him," Aria said as the doorbell rang. "Oh shit! That's him."

"Go get it, princess," Hanna urged her. Aria opened the door only to find a surprise.

"Hi," Caleb said standing in the doorway.

"Baby!" Hanna giggled when she saw him. She jumped out of her chair and into Caleb's arms. He lifted her off the ground and swung her in a circle.

"I missed you," he told her. "I'm glad you liked the surprise."

"Bye guys," Aria said interrupting their sexy little reunion.

"What's wrong?" Hanna asked snapping back to reality.

"Jake texted me," Aria explained. "They asked him to come earlier so I'm gonna meet him there."

"Ok, be safe," Hanna called out to her. Aria hopped in the first cab she saw and made her way to the address Jake had texted her. She got to the door and rang the bell.

"Hey," Jake smiled when he saw her. "Come in."

"Where's the little guy?" she said stepping inside.

"He's already asleep," Jake told her. "He passed out like ten minutes after I got here."

"What are we going to do until his parents get back?" Aria mused.

"Let me show you around," Jake said giving her a tour of the kitchen and bedrooms. They made their way back to the living room and Aria's eyes caught sight of a familiar photograph.

"Is this Ezra's house?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jake told her. "Oh right, I forgot you knew him."

"Obviously not well enough," Aria said as her eyes lingered on another photograph. Isla and Ezra stood in a church on their wedding day.._._

..._Aria opened the door to the apartment she shared with Ezra. The lights were off but the entire place was lit with candles. She stepped inside and felt something slippery on the floor. When she looked harder she realized roses were littered all over the living room. She smiled and followed the candle lit pathway into the bedroom. When she got there she found Ezra kneeling right by the bed._

_"Aria," he said slowly, "will you marry me?"_

_"Wha...?" she placed a hand over her mouth fighting back tears. Ezra opened a small velvet box and presented it to her. Inside was a gold ring with a square cut diamond. Aria simply stood there not moving. Finally she took a seat on the bed and sighed. "I can't."_

_"What?" Ezra asked. "What do you mean?"_

_"I can't," she told him. "I'm twenty years old. I haven't even lived yet. I don't want to get married."_

_"What do you mean?" he asked. "Being married doesn't mean your life is over."_

_"You don't understand," Aria sighed. "I've barely started college and you already have a career. You're chair of the English department at Hollis and I'm just a coed at Haverford. This was never really going to work."_

_"Are you breaking up with me?" he asked._

_"I don't know," Aria breathed burying her head in her hands..._

...She looked at the photograph again. On Isla's wedding ring finger she could see a beautiful gold ring with a square cut diamond. It was the same ring.

"I think I should go home," Aria said grabbing her bag.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"It's hard to explain," she told him. "I'll call you tomorrow."

Aria ran out of the apartment and straight to her own loft across town. She opened the door to hear quiet moans coming from Hanna's bedroom. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water before taking a seat on the couch and turning on the television. She must have dozed off because she woke up to a banging on the door. Aria rubbed her eyes open and looked around. The sun was up and she could see the light shining through the blinds. The knocking continued and Aria got up to check the door. She opened it and was instantly slapped across the face by Isla.

"What the fu...?" Aria was in shock.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Isla said shoving her phone in Aria's face. The screen displayed the photo of Aria and Ezra on his desk that A had taken. Aria didn't know what had overcome her but she said something she shouldn't have.

"He proposed to me with the same ring," Aria told her, "seven years ago."

Aria slammed the door leaving Isla with a shocked look on her face. Hanna popped out of her bedroom with Caleb by her side.

"What was that about?" Hanna asked giving her a concerned look.

"That was Ezra's wife," Aria explained. "She knows I slept with him."

"What?" Hanna asked. "That was like years ago."

"No," Aria told her. "It was like last week."

Hanna's mouth dropped open. The only thing that brought her back to reality was the sound of the house phone. Caleb lunged for it desperately trying to avoid the rest of this conversation. He grabbed the receiver and placed it to his ear. The girls watched as his expression changed and he let out a few noncommittal words. Finally he said goodbye and hung up.

"That was Spencer," he told them. "Rachel called this morning. Emily's dead."


	10. Chapter 10

Hanna retched into the toilet over and over again. She finally felt like there was nothing left in her stomach and flushed the toilet. She got up to rinse out her mouth and her a knock on the door.

"Hanna," Aria called to her. "Are you okay in there?"

"I'm fine," Hanna said opening the door.

"Are you sure?" Aria asked when she saw how pale Hanna was.

"I just don't feel well," Hanna told her.

"You're not making yourself sick again?" Aria asked. "It's okay to tell me, you know."

"No," Hanna lied to her. "I haven't done that since high school."

"You'd tell me, right?" Aria asked with a concerned look.

"Yeah, of course," Hanna said trying to shake her off. "We better get going."

"Right," Aria breathed. She hated that they were on their way to Emily's funeral. Emily didn't deserve to die so young and not that way. Rachel had called them again to give them more details. After the autopsy, the doctors learned she had steroids in her system. They were most likely making her depressed and moody which led to her killing herself. Just the thought of it gave Aria shivers. She took Hanna's hand and they headed to the funeral.

They finally arrived and saw Spencer sitting near the front of the church. Tyler was with her. They were both in black, which wasn't rare considering they're lawyers, but this was different. There was an air of solemness in the church. No one looked at each other but they didn't look straight ahead either. Almost everyone was staring right into the ground.

"Hi," Aria said scooting next to Spencer. Those were the only words the girls uttered until the end of the memorial. Finally everyone got up and walked outside for the burial. It was a slow procession to the cemetery. Aria recognized a few faces but most of them were from the covers of magazines and advertisements. Most of Emily's friends were olympians but few of them ever ventured in the city to meet the girls.

"Hey," Hanna said pointing out a familiar face.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Drew," Hanna pointed him out. "He's done some photo shoots for _Femme_. I didn't know he knew Emily."

"Go find out," Spencer said urging her away. Hanna strolled over toward him and gave him a weak smile.

"Drew, right?" she asked.

"Hanna," he smiled when he saw her. "Did you know Em?"

"Yeah," Hanna said. "We've been friends since high school."

"That's funny," he told her. "She never mentioned you."

"Did you ever..." Hanna pretended to ignore her shock at Emily keeping her old friends a secret, "...did you notice her being depressed at all?"

"I guess it's irrelevant now," he told her.

"I guess so," Hanna sighed. She said goodbye and snuck away to meet her friends. She was still getting used to the idea that Emily wouldn't be around anymore. Granted, she'd been acting a little strangely in the past year, but she was still their best friend. She reached her friends and her phone beeped. All of their phones did. The three girls read an identical text: You're next - A.

* * *

><p>"This isn't a joke anymore," Spencer said as the three girls huddled around the kitchen counter.<p>

"Are you trying to say that A had something to do with Emily's death?" Hanna asked.

"I don't know," Spencer told them, "but I know threatening texts from A can hurt someone who is already depressed."

"Here comes Spencer's lawyer brain," Aria teased.

"Seriously guys," Spencer said pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "As Rachel's lawyer, I went through Emily's room today and found her cell phone."

"What's that?" Hanna asked staring at the paper.

"It's a list of every message she's ever gotten from A," Spencer explained. Let's rewrite everything A has sent us. The liars jotted down anything they could think of and handed it to Spencer who compiled them. The girls analyzed the list:

Aria

1. Have you ever met a teacher that didn't take a liking to you? (Columbia)

2. Some things never change (Jake's apartment)

3. Maybe Jake should see this w/ photo (Ezra's office)

4. Sleeping with a married teacher. Sound familiar? (Blue Lagoon)

Emily

1. Is it still cheating if you kiss a boy? (Velvet Lounge)

2. The third one's the charm (Emily's flat)

3. That's not the only juice in your system (?)

4. She's pissed about the steroids. Imagine when she sees this w/ photo (?)

Hanna

1. Missing something? w/ photo of sonogram (Dr. Jeffrie's office)

2. Old habits die hard (Femme offices)

Spencer

1. He can't look now. I bet you have time for a quickie (Velvet Lounge)

2. His name is Tyler (Velvet Lounge)

3. Did he say what I think he said? (Subway)

"So Drew and Emily were having an affair?" Hanna asked.

"It looks that way," Spencer said, "but you have to remember that A like to manipulate people."

"How can this be the same A, though?" Aria sighed.

"I don't think it is," Spencer told them. "Our case was a highly publicized matter. It was in most of the national media outlets. I think this A is a copycat."

"But who hates us that much?" Hanna asked. "Why would one person want to torment us about things that happened a decade ago?"

"That's what we need to figure out," Spencer said.

"I don't have time for this," Hanna said getting up to leave. "I'm late to meet Caleb."

"Bye," Aria called as Hanna grabbed her purse and slipped out the door waving goodbye.

"She's being a little weird," Spencer said.

"I think she's relapsing," Aria told her. "I heard her throwing up a few times. I'm worried. Should we do something?"

"Maybe we should tell Caleb," Spencer said. "He's always known how to help her out."


	11. Chapter 11

"Are you okay?" Aria asked Jake when she saw him standing in the doorway.

"We need to talk about something," he said.

"What's going on?" she asked leading him to the couch.

"Can you explain this?" he showed her a picture message on his cell phone. It was the same photo that A had taken in Ezra's office. The one that Isla had.

"Ezra and I," Aria said taking a deep breath. "We used to date but it was nearly a decade ago."

"What?" he asked. "Wasn't he your teacher?"

"That's not how we met," she explained. "It was just a coincidence."

"I don't believe you," he told her. "This photo is from his office at Columbia. He didn't work there a decade ago."

"I know," Aria explained. "When we saw each other again, our emotions got the best of us. It was just one time and you and I weren't even together yet."

"What about his wife?" Jake asked. "How could you?"

"I didn't know," Aria told him sincerely. "I didn't know about Isla or his son until afterward."

"So it was just once?" he asked.

"Just once," Aria lied...

_...She was sitting in Ezra's office the day after Isla slapped her. It was also the day after Emily died. She didn't know where to go. Jake wouldn't understand and the girls were with their respective boyfriends._

_"I'm sorry to unload this on you," Aria said after she'd spilled everything to Ezra._

_"Is this related to everything that happened when you were in high school?" he asked._

_"I don't know," Aria buried her head in her hands. "Probably. That's what my life is always about."_

_"Come here," he said pulling her in for a hug. Aria felt so safe and comfortable in his arms. She looked up into his eyes and her heart melted. Their faces moved closer together and then their lips were touching. Aria could feel the same sparks that she felt ten years ago when they first met._

_"We probably shouldn't," Aria said pushing him away..._

...Aria moved so she was sitting in Jake's lap.

"You know you're the only one for me," she smiled at him.

"You promise?" he asked.

"Yeah," she smiled. Her phone beeped at that same moment. She leaned over and read a text: Once a liar, always a liar - A. Aria's heart dropped. She couldn't live this lie anymore.

* * *

><p>"Do you have the mockups for next month's issue?" Hanna asked her assistant.<p>

"Yeah," Staci smiled running out of the office. Hanna stood up to follow her and instantly felt the room start to spin. She leaned against the desk and tried to grab hold but her body propelled down to the ground. The last thing she saw was Staci turning around and running toward the desk in an attempt to catch her before everything went black.

"What happened?" Hanna asked looking around the room when she regained consciousness.

"You fainted and hit your head," Staci told her. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Hanna said sitting up. "I just haven't eaten much today."

"Maybe you should see a doctor," Staci told her. "You might have a concussion."

"No, it's okay," Hanna told her. "I'm fine."

"No," Staci put her foot down. "I'll take you."

Staci managed to convince Hanna to go to the emergency room with her. After an hour-long wait the doctor finally saw her and ran some tests. Hanna sat patiently waiting in the suite while Staci sat next to her taking care of the office work on her phone.

"Thanks for this," Hanna told her.

"You're welcome," Staci smiled.

"You know," Hanna said, "there might be a promotion coming your way. You've really improved."

"Thanks," Staci gushed.

"Seriously," Hanna told her, "if you can find yourself a replacement, I think we can find a better position for you."

"That's sweet," Staci said, "but I really like working for you. Maybe in the future, but for now I like where I am."

"Are you sure?" Hanna asked wondering why Staci would pass at an opportunity like this. Staci nodded. "Well, if you change your mind, let me know."

They waited a few more minutes before the doctor finally returned with the results from her bloodwork. He walked inside holding a clipboard and Hanna breathed in sharply. She hated doctors and she especially hated hospitals.

"Hanna," he said, "it appears that you are pregnant."

"That's not funny," Hanna told him. "I can't have kids."

"It's not a joke, Ms. Marin," he explained. "You fainted due to your low blood sugar combined with your body's new state. If you have time, I'd like to do an ultrasound today."

"I'm really pregnant?" she asked as tears began to fill her eyes. She barely paid attention as the doctor nodded and began setting up the machine. Hanna leaned back in the medical chair and lifted up her shirt like he prompted. He squirted a cool gel on her stomach that tickled her a little. Then he pressed the ultrasound head to her belly and moved it around.

"That's your baby," he said pointing at the monitor. Hanna could no longer hold back tears. The doctor finished the ultrasound and put everything back. Hanna sat up and tried to wipe her tears. The doctor turned to her. "It seems that you're about nine weeks along. You should notice an increase in mood swings as well as some minor weight gain. I'm aware of your previous eating disorder and I recommend meeting with a nutritionist to..."

Hanna barely listened to a word he said. When he finally stopped talking, he handed her a file with pamphlets. Hanna got up and followed Staci after saying goodbye and they made their way back to _Femme_. Hanna placed the file on her desk and picked up her phone to schedule an appointment with a specialist but before she could dial the number she got a text. It read: Deja vu? - A. Hanna deleted the message instantly. Even A couldn't ruin this moment for her. She was finally going to have a baby.

* * *

><p>Spencer grabbed the new file from her assistant. She was about to start on the biggest case of her career and she could barely concentrate. She walked back to her office and opened the file ready to pore over every detail but she couldn't focus...<p>

_...Spencer sat on the couch leaning her head on Tyler's shoulder while they watched an episode of some crazy reality show together. _

_"I'm exhausted," she said grabbing a pillow and placing it on his lap so she could lie down. _

_"From what?" he asked. "All that sex you're having with Luke?"_

_Spencer barely listened as she was already drifting off to sleep. She simply murmured a response. Spencer could feel Tyler's fingers playing with her hair and it only made her more tired. _

_"I love you," Tyler whispered a few minutes later. Spencer's heart dropped. She really did hear it this time. He loved her but he didn't know that she knew. He thought she was sleeping. She kept her eyes closed and decided what to do but by the time she made a decision, it was already too late. She couldn't suddenly say she loved him after she'd been pretend sleeping. Or could she..._

...Spencer took another look at the file on her desk and threw it back down. She couldn't deal with this anymore.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Dear lovely readers and reviewers! I am so thankful for all of your amazing feedback. I sincerely love you. I wish I had the time to respond to every review individually but I've been super busy writing. Starting now, for every review I get, you will receive an early preview of the next chapter to show you my gratitude :)**

Hanna sat in the waiting room of her doctor's office. Three weeks ago she'd found out she was pregnant and it seemed like since then, she had nearly doubled in size. Maybe it was because she knew there was something growing inside of her but she could no longer recognize her once flat abs. She still hadn't told anyone. She wanted Caleb to be the first to know but he had been gone all week at a business convention. It was kind of nice in a way because now she was officially in the clear. The chance of having a miscarriage now was very slim. She had every intention of telling Caleb tonight when he got back from his trip.

"Hanna Marin," the nurse called. Hanna grabbed her purse and followed her. She went through the typical check-up procedure with the nurse and then the doctor came in to talk to her.

"I've reviewed your chart," he told her, "and I'm looking at a few issues."

"Like what?" Hanna asked concerned.

"Your weight gain is a little high," he explained. "I'm aware of your previous eating disorder and I want to make sure that it won't affect your health or the baby's health."

"Is there something wrong?" Hanna asked him.

"Not right now," he explained. "This is a preventative measure. I'd like you to see a nutrition therapist once a week to make sure you keep up healthy eating habits."

"Okay," Hanna breathed. "Is there anything else I can do."

"In the meantime," he explained. "I want you to stay off of junk food. You've gained about five pounds too many at this stage of your pregnancy so it would be good to try about an hour of exercise every week. Stick to cardio and low weights. Don't overexert yourself."

"Right," Hanna nodded, "thank you doctor."

They said goodbye and Hanna left after checking out with the front desk. She was walking out of the building when she got a text. It read: Is this the return of Hefty Hanna? - A.

Hanna looked around and saw no one she recognized. This A character was starting to get on her nerves. She pocketed her cell phone an headed to Caleb's apartment. He was due to come back in about an hour. She let herself in with her spare key and walked into the bedroom. She pulled out her phone to text Aria and Spencer: A is going down.

* * *

><p>Spencer sat at her desk flipping through her case files. She scanned the witness profiles to get ready to interview her next witness. Her assistant knocked on the door to let her know the witness had arrived.<p>

"Bring her in," Spencer said. The witness, a thin tall brunette took a seat across from Spencer. She had a familiar face but Spencer couldn't place it. She extended a hand. "Hi, I'm Spencer Cava...I mean, Hastings."

The woman introduced herself as Lisa Martinez. Spencer asked her to give a deposition and placed the tape recorder on the table to keep a record. While the girl talked, Spencer's mind began to wander...

_...It was Saturday. Spencer woke up in her bed and rolled over to find Toby's side empty. She looked around the room and noticed a lot of his things were gone. Spencer grabbed her phone to call him but there was no answer. He sent her straight to voicemail._

_Spencer did the only things she knew how to. She called Tyler and asked him to come over. He was at her door in five minutes and the two surveyed the house. Toby had taken all of his important papers from the safe deposit box. A suitcase was gone and so were a lot of his clothes. _

_"Did something happen?" Tyler asked._

_"I don't know," Spencer said as tears welled up in her eyes. "We've been fighting a lot lately but he never said anything."_

_"How's the sex?" Tyler asked. _

_"What?" she asked shocked._

_"Seriously Spence," he explained. "If you're not giving him any, that's a sign."_

_"We had sex last week," Spencer spat at him leaving Tyler with his foot in his mouth. She sighed loudly burying her head in her hands when the doorbell rang. She turned to Tyler. "Could it be Toby?"_

_She ran to the door to open it and found a tall lanky guy at the door._

_"Can I help you?" she asked. _

_"Spencer Cavanaugh-Hastings?" he asked. Spencer nodded. He handed her a folded up stack of papers. "You've been served."_

_"What's that?" Tyler asked as she slammed the door shut._

_"Divorce papers," Spencer said tossing them on the table..._

...Lisa still sat across from Spencer. She'd been talking for nearly fifteen minutes and Spencer hadn't heard a word of it. She waited for Lisa to finish her deposition and said goodbye. She couldn't handle anymore work today.

"Thanks for coming in," Spencer told her leading her out the door. "We'll be in touch."

Spencer sat back down at her desk and opened the witness file again. She typed the name into her database and found a profile. There was a letter missing from her name: A. She looked at the name at the top of the profiel: Alisa Karina Martinez. She looked at recent employers and that's when it hit her. Lisa was a bartender at Velvet. That's how she recognized her. Spencer dug deeper in the file. Lisa had been a witness before.

Three years ago Spencer sat first chair on her first high-profile case. It was a white-collar crime investigation and the wealthy defendants paid off a lot of witnesses. In the end most of them were caught. Lisa was one of them. She was sentenced to 18 months in jail on counts of perjury and obstruction of justice. Spencer wasn't part of her trial but she could feel Lisa's hatred toward her. She had no idea how they'd gotten her to cooperate to be a witness.

* * *

><p>Across town Aria was sitting in her classroom waiting to take her last midterm. Her professor handed them each a blue book. Aria flipped hers to the first page and her heart nearly stopped. Her article about having a relationship with a teacher was taped to the front. There was a note in sharpie: Who's Martina? - A. Aria quickly pulled out that sheet and crumpled it up. Then she began her test. When she finished up her exam, she pulled out her cell and texted Hanna: I hate A.<p>

* * *

><p>Spencer was leaning against the counter nursing a crystal tumbler of whiskey deep in thought. She could feel the buzz hitting her and she was starting to feel relief. She liked not having to remember that A was still hanging around or that she was secretly in love with her roommate who was secretly in love with her. She was snapped out of her daydream when she heard the front door unlock.<p>

"Ty?" she called out.

"Hey," he smiled coming around the corner. "How was your day?"

"Awful," she said holding up her glass.

"Oh," he paused. "What does a guy have to do to get one of those?"

"Here," she said handing him her glass. She poured herself another one and they clinked them together taking a huge gulp.

"This is what I needed," he laughed.

"Are you doing anything this weekend?" she asked hopping up on the counter to face him.

"Not really," he replied. "Did you have something in mind?"

"How about this?" she asked looping her arms around his neck. She pulled him close and planted a soft kiss on him. He kissed her back but then quickly backed away.

"I can't," he said pushing her hands away.

"Sorry?" she sighed. "I didn't..."

"Come off it, Spencer," he told her. "I'm not another one of your playthings."

"No," she pleaded. "It's not like that, Ty. I love you. I want to be with you."

"Give it up," he said. "You just want me for my body."

"No Ty," she explained. "I love you. I've always loved you. I just didn't know if you felt the same way but frankly, I don't care. You just need to know."

"You love me?" he asked. "Really?"

"Yeah," she smiled.

"Can I tell you a secret?" he asked. She nodded. "I love you, too."

"It's not really a secret," she teased. "I heard you say it the other day on the subway. And again last week on the couch."

"You didn't say anything," he said a little hurt.

"I'm saying it now," she replied. "I love you. I love you! I LOVE YOU!"

* * *

><p>Hanna inhaled sharply and rolled over in the bed. She rubbed her eyes open and felt another presence in the room. When she opened her eyes she saw Caleb standing over her with a suitcase in hand.<p>

"Hey," she whispered.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "It's nearly midnight."

"I wanted to surprise you," she replied.

"My flight was delayed," he replied. "I tried to call but there's no service in the cabin."

"I need to talk to you about something," he told her.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Me too."

"You first," he said.

"No you" she replied.

"Well," he explained. "Aria told me about how she heard you throwing up the other day..."

"That's exactly what I need to tell you," she gushed. "I'm uh...we're...I'm pregnant."

"But you said..." he was confused.

"I know," she smiled. She unbuttoned her blazer and pulled it off revealing the slight bulge at her belly.

"So you're not making yourself sick?" he asked.

"No," she told him. "We're having a baby."

"Hanna," he said as his eyes watered. "That's the best news I've ever heard."


	13. Chapter 13

Hanna woke up rubbing her eyes. The light was streaming in through the blinds and she could no longer lie in bed. Hanna struggled to sit up with the added weight of her baby bump. She looked to her right and found Caleb's side of the bed empty. She looked around and found no sign of him. Hanna threw off the covers and stood up. She was wearing one of Caleb's button downs but even that was starting to feel a bit snug. The buttons around her belly were starting to stretch. She unbuttoned the bottom buttons and gave herself some room to breathe. Hanna stumbled into the living room and found a wondrous smell coming from the kitchen.

"Hey," she smiled when she saw Caleb.

"Good morning sleepyhead," he teased walking over to give her a hug.

"Smells good," she smiled.

"Take a seat," he led her to the dining table. "I have something for you."

"What's that?" she asked. Caleb pulled a tiny box out of his pocket.

"Hanna Marin," he kneeled down in front of her, "will you marry me?"

"Yes," she managed to say finally. She was nearly speechless. Caleb took the ring and slipped it on her finger. She grinned when she felt the weight of the gold. This was for real.

* * *

><p>"And you didn't know it was coming?" Aria asked her friend as the trio sat on the patio of a quaint coffee shop.<p>

"No," Hanna gushed. "I was totally surprised."

"So Spencer," Aria turned to her friend. "What's the deal with you and Tyler?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I mean, we're definitely together, but then again, we're still roommates. I just don't wanna ruin anything, you know."

"So you stay in separate rooms?" Hanna asked. Spencer just muttered something unintelligible trying to change the subject.

"Let me see that rock again," Spencer said reaching for Hanna's hand. Her eyes went wide when she saw the size of Hanna's ring. It was huge. "That thing is enormous!"

"Speaking of enormous," Hanna said pointing at her belly which had somehow double in size overnight. "This baby is getting so big."

"You are tiny," Aria told her. "I can barely even tell you're pregnant."

"I sure feel pregnant," Hanna said. "The little guy started moving and he just can't seem to stop."

"You look beautiful," Aria reassured her.

"Thanks," Hanna smiled mindlessly rubbing her belly. She'd gotten used to placing her hands on her bump all the time now. It had become second nature. The three friends continued catching up until Spencer's phone rang.

"That's weird," she said reading it.

"What?" Hanna asked. "Is that from A?"

"It says," Spencer read out loud, "Tyler says you should hit him up. Or maybe I will - A."

"That sounds like a threat," Aria told her.

"I think I'm gonna go," Spencer said. "I've gotta find him before something happens."

The girls said goodbye and Spencer ran off toward the subway. She pulled out her phone and dialed Tyler's number.

"Hey," he answered.

"Hi," she smiled hearing his voice. "What are you up to? How about we get some dinner?"

"Uh, sure," he replied. "Let me finish up at the office and I'll meet you at home."

Spencer said goodbye and they hung up. She ran back to her apartment to warn him about A's threat and beat him to the house. Spencer let herself in and waited in the living room for Tyler to come home. It was almost an hour later when he finally walked in the door.

"Ty," she called out.

"Spence?" he asked when he saw her. His hand was pressed to his face and she could tell that he was injured.

"Are you okay?" she asked running to the freezer to grab him an ice pack.

"I'll be fine," he told her. "Don't worry."

"What happened?" she asked concerned.

"I was leaving the office," he explained, "and someone grabbed me from behind and threw me to the ground."

"Oh no," Spencer breathed. She wasn't going to be sad. She was pissed. Without another word Spencer grabbed her purse and stormed outside with a purpose.

* * *

><p>"So what's new with you?" Hanna asked Aria. "You already know everything that's going on in my life."<p>

"Well," Aria replied, "I'm not getting married and having a baby or anything, but...Jake asked me to move in and I might say yes."

"That's great!"Hanna told her.

"You're not mad?" Aria asked.

"No," Hanna replied. "I mean, I'm on my way to moving in with Caleb. It's your decision, though. You're welcome to stay in the loft or you can move in with him.

"It's not that easy," Aria explained. "I have to register for next semester and there's this one course I have to take that's required. Ezra teaches one section and Jake teaches the other. I don't know what to do. It's unethical for me to take Jake's class and Isla will probably kill me if I take Ezra's class."

"Dating a teacher never stopped you before," Hanna told her.

"That was the stupidest decision of my life," Aria replied. "Thinking back on it, if I had just been patient and waited until I graduated, maybe Ezra and I would be married with a son and a baby on the way. Who knows?"

"I don't think you should look at it that way," Hanna told her. "It's one class and he's not even the one grading your papers. Doesn't he have a TA?"

"He's an adjunct professor," Aria explained. "They don't get TA's."

"I'm sorry sweetie," Hanna said. Then both of their phones went silent but checked anyway. It was from Spencer: A attacked Tyler. Be careful.

"Holy crap," Aria breathed.

"You know what," Hanna said. "I think we should get home."

"I'm supposed to meet Jake," Aria said. "I have to tell him about my registration. Why don't you go to Caleb's. I don't want you to be alone."

"Yeah," Hanna replied. "I'll just meet him at his office."

"Let me know when you get back," Aria told her.

"I will," Hanna kissed her cheek goodbye and walked toward the street to catch a car. She turned back to see Aria for a second who gave her a panicked look.

"Hanna!" Aria yelled. Hanna didn't have a second to move. When she turned back she was struck by an oncoming car and everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Who do you think you are?" Spencer yelled at Alisa when she found her coming out of Velvet at the end of her shift.<p>

"What are you talking about?" Alisa spat at her.

"You're A!" Spencer yelled. "What did I do that was so awful that you had to kill Emily?"

"Who's Emily?" the girl asked.

"Fine," Spencer said walking away. "You don't have to tell me but I swear to you. I will call the authorities and you will rot in jail."

Spencer didn't give the girl a second to think. She turned on her heel and walked away. Spencer strolled down the street but soon felt something collide with her head. She fell to the ground and passed out.


	14. Chapter 14

"Thanks for letting me stay here," Aria told Jake. "It's so lonely in the apartment without Hanna."

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"She's been in a coma for two days now," Aria replied. "She's stable but there's really no way to know."

"Are you gonna visit her today?" he asked. "I'd like to go with you."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Aria told him.

"Have you put any thought into moving in?" he asked.

"I don't know if that would be a good idea," she told him. "You know that 622 course you're teaching next semester?"

"Yeah," he replied. "What about it?"

"Well," she paused, "it's required for my degree. I don't think it would be ethical for us to live together if you were my teacher."

"But there's another section," then he realized, "oh."

"Yeah," she replied. "Oh."

"That wouldn't be ethical either?" he pondered.

"It's about as ethical as his wife hitting me," Aria told him.

"He told me about that," Jake laughed. "It was kind of funny."

"Shut up!" Aria threw a pillow at him but then couldn't help but giggle. They both laughed.

* * *

><p>Hanna woke up in a white hospital room. She was wearing one of those awful paper gowns and she could tell her hair had not been properly washed in days. She looked around and saw no one. What happened? Hanna sat up slowly. Her pelvis was throbbing and she looked down to find her stomach far larger than she remembered. She pressed her hand to it and felt something move. Something wasn't right.<p>

"You're awake," a voice said from the door. Hanna turned to look and saw Aria.

"What happened?" Hanna asked her. "Why am I here."

"You were hit by a car," Aria explained. "We think it was A."

"Explain this," Hanna said pointing at her swollen stomach.

"What are you talking about?" Aria asked her.

"The last thing I remember," Hanna told her, "was going 'glamping,' whatever that is, for Mona's birthday and then I get hit by a car and now I look like a sumo wrestler."

"Oh Hanna," Aria said comforting her friend. She was speechless. How could she explain this?

Aria called the doctor who had everyone empty the room while he ran some tests. Aria took that moment to give Caleb a call. He had snuck back home for some sleep while Aria watched over Hanna but he had asked her to call if anything new happened. He arrived minutes later.

"What happened?" Caleb asked running into the hospital lobby out of breath.

"She's awake," Aria explained, "but I don't think she remembers anything. The last memory she has is from high school."

"Are you Caleb?" the doctor asked walking toward them.

"Yeah," Caleb said quickly. "Are they okay?"

"They're stable," the doctor explained. "I should be able to discharge Hanna by the end of the day. However, she suffers from retrograde amnesia. She can't remember anything from the last ten years. It is most likely reversible but we don't know for sure. I'll have more information when the test results come back. You can go ahead and see her now."

"Thanks doctor," Aria told him. She waited outside for a minute while Jake held her to allow Caleb some privacy.

"Hanna," he smiled stepping in her room.

"Hi," she replied. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Who are you?"

"I'm uh...," he didn't know how to respond.

"He's a friend," Aria said following him into the room. She turned to Caleb. "It might be best for me to explain. She remembers me."

"Yeah," he said solemnly. "I think you're right."

"I'll let you know if anything changes," she said giving him a hug. He nodded and she could swear she saw a single tear fall from his eye. He turned to leave and she took a seat on Hanna's bed.

"Who's that?" Hanna asked. "He's cute."

"That's Caleb," Aria replied. "He's uh...friend."

"Is someone going to clue me in?" Hanna asked.

"Okay," Aria began, "here goes. Mona's birthday happened ten years ago. You remember that, right?"

"Are you kidding?" Hanna squealed. "A hit me with her car, ended up in a come for a decade, and now I'm fat?"

"No," Aria smiled, "it's nothing like that. After you got hit by a car, you woke up and lived an amazing life for ten years. Now A is back and she hit you again but this time you lost your memory of everything that's happened."

"So I got fat anyway?" Hanna was near tears.

"You're not fat," Aria explained. "You are the editor-in-chief of _Femme_ magazine and you were voted sexiest body in the office last year. You're not fat, you're pregnant, and you're engaged to an amazing guy."

"No, no, no," Hanna said quickly. "I am not cut out for motherhood. I do slingbacks, not piggy backs."

"Trust me," Aria said, "you are really happy about this baby."

"So who's the daddy?" Hanna asked. "Please don't tell me I've turned into a slut."

"Remember that cute guy Caleb?" Aria asked. Hanna nodded. "You guys are getting married."

"You know," Hanna said leaning back against the pillows. "I think I could get used to this."

The two girls laughed and giggled reminiscing on high school memories while Aria explained the rest of the last decade. She skipped the sad parts about people dying or being sent to jail and whatnot. Hanna didn't really need to hear that right now. They were mid conversation when Aria's phone rang. It was Tyler.

"Hey Tyler," Aria answered a it confused.

"Hi," he spoke quickly. "Have you heard from Spencer? She hasn't been home in two days and I already called everyone else. No one's heard from her."

"That's weird," Aria replied. "Now that I think about it, I haven't heard anything either. If it's been 48 hours we need to alert the police."

"Ok, I will," he said. They hung up and Aria turned back to Hanna.

"What's that?" Hanna asked.

"Tyler," she explained. "Spencer's missing."

"Yeah, speaking of which," Hanna told her. "Where are Spencer and Emily? We used to be inseparable."

"I would love to tell you all about that," Aria said checking the time, "but I have a class I need to get to. I promise I will come straight back."

"I totally understand," Hanna told her. They hugged and Aria bolted out the door while Hanna drifted off into sleep.

* * *

><p>Aria ran out of her classroom and bolted toward the subway. She arrived at the hospital and walked into Hanna's room only to find it empty. She tracked down a nurse and inquired that Hanna had been moved. She made her way to the other room and found it empty as well. What was going on? Aria ran outside to get service and dialed Hanna's number. No answer. She dialed Caleb.<p>

"Hello?" he said groggily.

"Hey," Aria replied. "Have you seen Hanna today?"

"No, I haven't been back since I left you two together," he told her. There was no reply. Just static. "Aria? Aria you're breaking up."

Aria couldn't respond. She was passed out cold. The only trace of her was a solitary cell phone sitting on the pavement.

* * *

><p>Spencer woke up in a dark room. She'd been there for at least a day now. That internal clock of hers was pretty accurate. Her eyes became accustomed to the darkness and she noticed two other figures in the room. They were both unconscious but began to stir. Spencer looked closely. It was Aria and Hanna. She was so confused. She walked over and shook Aria awake.<p>

"What's going on?" Aria said opening her eyes and clutching her head.

"I think we've been kidnapped," Spencer told her. Then she walked toward Hanna who was harder to wake up.

"Where am I?" Hanna asked finally opening her eyes. Before they could come to a conclusion, the door opened a crack. Another figure walked in. He switched on the lights revealing that they were in a basement and suddenly all of Hanna's memories came flooding back to her. She looked at him. "Drew?"

"That's right," he told her. "I have a bone to pick with the pretty little liars."

"What are you talking about?" Spencer demanded.

"Your little story garnered quite a bit of attention," he explained. "It was easy to copy A. They practically printed your entire high school careers in the newspapers. As for your phone numbers, have you ever googled your names. A lot comes up. You may want to invest in a background check. That is, if you ever survive. Emily, on the other hand, didn't get that chance."

"What did you do to Emily?" Aria yelled at him.

"Emily was a killer," he said. "He killed my sister. Mallie was on her way to being a star until she met Emily. Then she killed herself. She slit her wrists in the bathtub, just like Emily did."

"You!" Spencer was putting the pieces together. Emily had a fight with Rachel. It was in the texts Spencer found. She texted Drew to come over so she wouldn't be alone and he framed it like a suicide. "Emily didn't kill herself."

"Bingo," Drew said.

"What does that have to do with us?" Hanna asked. "I never even knew Mallie."

"I'm not the only one who thought you girls could use a lesson," he called to the door. "Come in ladies."

Three girls walked into the basement. Staci, Alisa, and Amber stood in a line next to Drew. They had sinister looks on their faces that gave the liars chills.

"Staci?" Hanna asked when she recognized her assistant.

"You had no idea," Staci teased no longer sounding like an incompetent dumb blonde. "You stole my boyfriend in college. After you broke up with that loser Caleb, you rebounded with Anthony. We were gonna get married and he dumped me for a single night with you. When we got back together I mysteriously contracted herpes from him. I wonder where that came from."

"That's not true," Hanna told her. "I don't have herpes. I'm sorry but Anthony was kind of a player."

"Don't give me that," Staci spat at her, literally.

"That doesn't explain anything," Aria said. "Amber, we just met. I barely know you."

"You might barely know me," Amber told her, "but I know you. You're 'Martina Groomey.' You had an affair with a teacher and then made money writing an article about it. Well, your article sucked. I followed all of your tips to the t, and we got caught. Everyone called me a slut and it's all your fault."

"But...you can't think..." Aria was speechless.

"I think you already know why I want my revenge," Alisa told Spencer.

"You think it's my fault you spent two years in jail?" Spencer was shocked. "I didn't make you commit perjury. You ruined your life all on your own."

"It doesn't matter," Alisa said. "You can't prove it to anyone because you are going to die here."

With that final note Drew and the girls left the room and locked the door behind them. The girls were in shock. They couldn't move. They couldn't even talk.

"What are we going to do?" Spencer finally said running to the door. It was bolted and it was a fire door. She collapsed to the floor exhausted.

"Ow," Hanna said pressing a hand to her belly.

"What?" Aria turned to her. "What is it?"

"I think the baby just kicked," Hanna smiled. Suddenly she knew that she was ready to be a mom. All of the stress of her coma and the amnesia was gone. Hanna was so happy until Aria said something that made her heart drop.

"Do you guys smell something burning?" she asked.

"Oh no!" Spencer sighed. "The door's getting hotter. I think they set the house on fire."

The girls huddled together to protect themselves. They prayed because they didn't know what else to do. Then they heard sirens.

"The firetruck!" Spencer sat up. "Of course!"

Soon they heard the firefighters run inside. They screamed loudly so they could be found. Finally, after waiting for what seemed like forever, the door opened and a burst of flames could be seen. One by one, starting with Hanna, the firefighters carried them outside. Everything after that was a blur. Police officers arrived soon after and took accounts from each of the girls. When the commotion was over, they sat on the sidewalk watching the flames die down. A second later another police car sped down the street and stopped short of the house. A figure in the passenger seat stepped out and Spencer recognized him immediately.

"Tyler!" she squealed. She jumped up and ran into his arms. "Wha..how did you...?"

"I installed a gps app on your phone," he explained. "In case you lose it, it sends a tracking signal that will locate it. It led us to this house."

"But it's not on me," she told him. She turned to the debris. "It must be inside."

"Yeah," he said. "We lost a signal about an hour ago. What happened?"

"We were kidnapped," Spencer smiled. "It's a long story. I'm just glad I'm with you again."

**Again, if I get a review from you, I'll send you the next chapter a little early :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**ONE YEAR LATER**

"Where's Caleb?" Spencer asked Hanna as they took their seats in the auditorium.

"He's parking the car," Hanna told her.

"I meant Caleb Jr.," Spencer smiled.

"Oh right," Hanna laughed. "He's with my mom. I don't think Aria would forgive me if he was crying through her entire graduation. He's only six months old."

"I still can't believe you have a baby," Spencer told her. "I mean, after everything, we deserve to be happy."

"You better not get any ideas," Tyler told said sitting down next to Spencer. "We can't even take care of ourselves yet."

"Oh yeah," Spencer said. "I completely agree. I am perfectly content just being a godmother for now."

"Hi sweetie," Caleb gave Hanna a kiss on the cheek and sat down next to her.

"Oh it's starting!" Spencer said turning her attention to the stage.

They sat through the boring welcoming speeches. They saw both Jake and Ezra speak on behalf of the department. No matter how much they liked them, the girls could not be bothered to pay attention.

"I am so bored," Hanna whispered to Caleb. He placed an arm around her and turned to give her a kiss. It didn't take long before they were engaged in a full public display of affection.

"Gross," Spencer slapped her friend with her clutch. "You guys aren't in high school anymore."

"Sorry," Hanna blushed. "I didn't know you were the make out police."

Tyler chuckled.

"Shut up," she said playfully slapping him too. They all instantly became quiet when they saw Aria rise to the stage.

"The last two years," she said, "have been a whirlwind. I finally published the book I had been promising for years and I don't think I could have done it without the support of my professors, especially Dr. Ezra Fitz."

As the room filled with applause, Hanna looked around the auditorium and saw Isla beaming in the front row. After Aria apologized and explained everything to Isla, Ezra was finally able to repair his marriage. As it turned out, Isla hadn't been completely faithful either. After a year of couples therapy, they were finally able to repair their marriage and actually managed to become good friends with Aria and Jake.

"The friends I have made here," Aria continued, "are some of the most sincere people I have ever met. I will remember all of you forever. Moving on, I urge all of you to follow your dreams and leave your mark on this world. I know it sounds cliché but I lost a friend last year and it made me realize that life is short. The time is now. Go out and explore your curiosities. A good friend once said 'Asking the right questions is better than having all of the right answers.'"

"That was you," Hanna jerked Caleb in the ribs.

"I can't believe you remember," he smiled.

"To be honest," Hanna told him. "I didn't. I told Aria like years ago and she wrote it down in her little writer's journal and she's the one that reminded me."

"I'm glad to know I've made such an impression on you," he teased.

"You have," she told him. She placed her hands on her heart. "Right here."

"Anyway," Aria continued. "Congratulations class of 2022!"

Everyone cheered and then came the procession. Spencer and Hanna were nearly falling out of their seats they were so bored. It was only their love for Aria that kept them there. When the ceremony was over, the girls got out of their seats and headed for the exit.

"Aren't you going to congratulate her?" Tyler asked.

"No," Hanna turned to him. "We planned a surprise party at my house. Plus, her family's in town and they rarely see her."

"You guys are so sneaky," Tyler laughed.

"They don't call them the pretty little liars for no reason," Caleb explained.

"Who knew we'd come to embrace that," Hanna laughed.

* * *

><p>"I want to take you home so bad," Jake whispered to Aria as they got on the elevator at the loft she used to share with Hanna.<p>

"It's bad_ly_," she corrected. "You're an English professor. You should know that."

"You always were a grammar nazi," he teased. Aria laughed as the elevator and Aria rang the doorbell.

"Surprise!" came a chorus of voices. Aria stepped inside to find a full fledged party with all of her friends.

"Thank you!" she gushed.

"We thought you deserved something special," Hanna said giving her a hug.

"First let me take off this gown," Aria said running to her old room, which was now the guest room, as Hanna followed. She stripped off the gown and tossed it on the bed revealing a bulge at her belly button.

"You are getting so big," Hana said referring to Aria's pregnancy.

"Shut up!" Aria told her. "I still have two months to go."

"Calm down," Hanna told her. "I was that size when I was only five months pregnant. You're tiny."

"Thanks," Aria smiled. "You always know what to say."

"Oh crap," Hanna pressed a hand to her breasts and felt the soreness. "I need to feed Caleb Jr."

"Oh my gosh," Aria smiled as they ran back to the party. "I can't believe you had a baby six months ago. How did you get so skinny."

"The baby is literally sucking me dry," Hanna told her. "It's better than any eating disorder. I will keep having babies until I get down to my high school size."

"I heard that," Caleb said scooping Hanna up from behind.

"I'm glad," she whispered to him. "When can we get started on the next one?"

"I can have everyone out of her in two seconds," he teased.

"Seriously," Hanna said when he let her down, "I need to feed the baby."

"Thanks for the party," Aria said turning to Caleb. "You've really been great. I'm so happy for you and Hanna. She deserves something amazing."

"You are going to make me cry," he told her, "and that is not good for my image...but you're welcome."

"Okay," Aria smiled. "This is my cue to go make someone else uncomfortable."

"Aria!" Spencer said reaching out for her friend. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Aria smiled. "And to you. Did you and Tyler set a date yet?"

"Not yet," Spencer told her. "We're trying to finish up this case and then we'll start with the wedding planning."

"Did someone say wedding?" Tyler asked popping out of nowhere to give Spencer a kiss.

"I swear," she told him, "you're more excited about this than I am."

"You know it," he laughed. "I already picked out my dress."

"You goofball," Spencer said ruffling up his hair.

"Hey there," Isla said sneaking up behind Aria.

"Hi!" Aria beamed. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too!" Isla said with her sexy British accent. "There's something I need to ask you."

"What's that?" Aria asked.

"Ezra and I are renewing our vows this summer," Isla told her, "and he's asked Jake to be his best man. My sister is in England and she can't make it, so I'd love for you to be my maid of honor."

"Isla, I'd be honored," Aria smiled.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing up here?" Caleb said when he saw Hanna sitting on the terrace.<p>

"Just thinking," she said scooting over to make room for him.

"Do you remember," he asked, "when I was staying at your mom's place and we would sneak up to the roof and watch the stars at night..."

"...and make out?" Hanna finished.

"Yeah, I kind of remember some making out," he smiled. Hanna turned to look in his eyes. She slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Their lips touched and then their tongues. She loved kissing him. It was so special and so different from kissing anyone else. In fact, it had been so long since Hanna had kissed anyone else. Not that it mattered, she had every intention of being by Caleb's side forever. But Caleb's kisses were her favorite. They weren't like those silent kisses. They made a tiny little smacking sound that reminded her that she wasn't dreaming. This was her real life. Hanna was deep in thought when the baby monitor started making noise. Just another reminder that she wasn't dreaming.

"It's the baby," Hanna said getting up. Caleb latched onto her leg.

"Can't your mom get him?" Caleb pleaded.

"You know Ashley is not the grandmother type," Hanna teased. She dusted herself off and headed for the stairs but Caleb ran after her lifting her up and carrying her back to the loft. Hanna giggled and kissed him one last time. "I love you."

**This is it guys! It's been a great run and I love you all. I promise to start a new story as soon as possible but bear with me as I'm experiencing a bit of writer's block. I hope I managed to answer all of your questions and give you a fun experience :)**


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